Violation: closing a village entrance
Location: East Ramallah
Date: November 08, 2015
Perpetrators: Israeli Forces
Victims: residents of Kfar Malik
Details:
Israeli Forces on November 08, 2015 re-closed the eastern entrance of the Ramallah village of Kfar Malik by earth mounds. It is reported that the closed road is a linking point between the village and the touristic site of Ein Samiya, which is known for its fertile soil and the abundance of orange groves and water sources. It is the reason the area was a center for many civilizations; especially Roman and Ottoman.
The closed road was historically reported to be the passage way of commercial carnivals coming from different spots and cities. Closing this road will force people to take a new route that is of 19km in length to reach their destinations. The route starts from the village itself moving to the villages of Deir Jarir and Al-Tayba; a turn to the left and a distance of 7km is the next step to reach the same place before the closure. This put a huge burden on the residents in terms of cost and physical fatigue.
It should be marked that the occupation army closed the road in the aftermath of the second Intifada of 2000; closure lasted for 13 years until the summer of 2013.
Such a closure is a violation of international laws and conventions, which state the prohibition of changing the historical landmarks of a place in occupied territories at war time.
Photo 1: the closed road
About Kfar Malik:
It is located 17km to the north east of Ramallah city. It extends from the east towards Al-Auja River. The village is edged by Al-Mazra’a Al-Sharqiya from the west, the villages of Al-Mugheer and Abu Falah from the north, and Deir Jarir and Al-Tayba from the south. Kfar Malik accommodates the third highest mountain in the West Bank that is of 1017m in elevation.
The village totals 54,000 dunums in area, of which 2860 dunums are the built-up area. Noteworthy, 30% of the village’s lands are confiscated on the claim “Military Purposes”. There are several sites of archaeological interest in the village, including the judge’s house, an ancient mill, Samiya spring, the remains of an old palace, and the remains of an ancient church
International conventions and laws regarding freedom of movement which Israel unabatedly violates:
Article 5: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”.
Article 9: “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile”.
Article 13: Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
Article 7 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In particular, no one shall be subjected without his free consent to medical or scientific experimentation.”
Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: “Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. No one shall be deprived of his liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedure as are established by law.
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
