Violation: The confiscation of 4 water pumps used by Palestinians for their irrigation and drinking purposes.
Date: April 15th, 2010.
Violators: The Central Inspection Unit in the Israeli occupation army.
The Affected Population: Mr. Fayeq Ahmad Sbeih, Mr. Ali Zuhdi Ali Abu Muhsen in addition to Mr. Taleb Radi Omar from Khirbet Al Farisiya.
Location: Khirbet Al Farisiya which is located in Wadi Al Maleh in the eastern side of the governorate of Tubas at a distance of 20 kilometers away from the city of Tubas. The lands of the khirbet stretch from Al Tayaseer checkpoint in the west to the Jordan Valley in the east. See Map 1
Map 1: Location of Khirbet Al Farisiya
The current population of the khirbet is 241 while the population was more than 1,000 in the year 1967. The main source of income for the population is farming and herding. There are three main clans in the khirbet including Bisharat, Dababat and Daraghma from the city of Tubas and the town of Tammoun. The residents of the khirbet live in tents or zinco shelters. The khirbet used to be known for its springs and its fertile lands which made it the main source for food for the entire northern parts of the West Bank.
Photo 1 & Photo 2: A general view of Khirbet Al Farisiya.
Violation Details:
In an unprecedented step, Israeli occupation forces raided the Bedouin shelters in khirbet Al Farisiya on the 15th of April, 2010. The forces searched the tents and the houses in the khirbet and then confiscated 4 water pumps used by the residents to pump water to be used for irrigation and drinking purposes. The following table provides the relevant information about those affected by the confiscation.
|
Name
|
Family Members
|
Cost of Pump in Shekels
|
No. of Pumps
|
Pumps Used to Irrigate
|
Confiscation Order
|
||
|
# of Trees
|
# of Veg. /Dunum
|
Sheep
|
|||||
|
Fayeq Ahmad Sbeih
|
7
|
24,000
|
2
|
166
|
34
|
230
|
 |
|
Ali Zuhdi Ali Abu Muhsen
|
5
|
13,000
|
1
|
0
|
53
|
450
|
 |
|
Taleb Radi Omar
|
9
|
14,000
|
1
|
0
|
40
|
120
|
 |
|
TOTAL
|
21
|
51,000
|
4
|
166
|
127
|
800
|
|
The Victims receive the Confiscation Order …. After it Took Place:
Without any prior warning, Israeli occupation forces raided Khirbet Al Farisiya and confiscated the said pumps that used to irrigate 166 dunums filled with trees and 127 dunums planted with vegetables. The pumps were also used to provide drinking water for 800 sheep. As to add insult to injury, the invading forces submitted the confiscation order to the pump owners AFTER the confiscation has taken place. The orders were issued by the so-called “Central Inspection Unit in the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria in the Israeli Army” in accordance with Article 80 of the 1970 Law concerning Confiscating Items.
Photo 3 & Photo 4: Plants in Al Farisiya that are threatened of perishing due to the lack of pumped water.
The confiscated pumps used to pump water from Al Maleh Spring which is considered the only source of water for the residents of Khirbet Al Farisiya. The pumps were used over the past 30 years to meet the minimum water needs of the residents of the khirbet who depend mainly on agriculture and herding as the main source of income. The irony is that the pipes of the Israeli Water (a.k.a. Makarot) run through the lands of the khirbet as it carries Palestinian stolen water from the Jordan Valley to the colony of Makhola while leaving the legitimate owners – the Palestinians – and their livelihoods thirsty.
Pic.5:The pipes of the Israeli Water Company (Makarot) running through the khirbet.
The Khirbet has been a prime target for Israeli de-population policies as most of its lands were declared Military Closed Areas in which camps used by the Israeli occupation army for training with live ammunition are located. Such policies have succeeded in reducing the number of Palestinians living in the area.
Mr. Aaref Daraghma, the head of the Project Committee of East Tubas Khirbets, expressed the following for the Land Research Center (LRC)’s field researcher: ‘ The confiscation of the pumps was carried out illegally as it was done without any prior warning. That was despite the fact that it did not form any source of danger on the “security” of the colonists. The actual water reserve has been seized long time ago by the occupation forces. The waters of the spring are seasonal and depend largely on rainfall. The residents of the khirbet depend on that water to save the remaining agricultural lands and livestock in the area. Israeli occupation forces have been targeting the Palestinian presence in the area since the early days of the occupation in 1967 in a number of forms. These forms include physically beating herders, the uprooting of vegetables and even demolishing the zinco shelters in which Palestinians are living. In the meantime, ready-made houses and villas are been built at a feverish rate inside the Israeli colonies located nearby as water is been provided for the colonists without a limit. ‘
Mr. Mohammad Salahat from the Tubas Governor Office indicated the following to LRC’s field researcher: ‘ We have contacted the Israeli side and asked for clarifications regarding the confiscation of the pumps after 30 years of their installment. So far, we have not received any reply from them which reflects the sense of arrogance occupation authorities have. We, at the Tubas Governor Office, have spoken with Project Committee in Bardala and Ein Al Baida to provide water to Khirbet Al Farisiya as to prevent a disaster in the area. ‘
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
The Land Research Center
LRC
