The so-called Israeli �Civil Administration� refused in the early days of May 2008 a request submitted by the Ras Al Tirah village council to issue 150 permits to allow land owners to access their 3100 dunums located behind the Israeli Racist Isolation Wall. The village, located in Qalqilia Governorate, is surrounded by the Wall from its eastern, northern and southern directions while the colony of Alfe Minshe surrounds the village from its western direction.
Impossible Conditions:
In order to gain entry permits into their lands located behind the Wall, Israeli occupation forces strictly require the residents of villages of Al Daba�a, Wad Rasha and Ras Al Tireh to change their IDs as to enlist the place of residency to be the name of the village itself. Moreover, the residents are obliged to prove their ownership of the land, which is impossible in the case of Ras Al Tireh as its lands are officially registered as part of the town of Kufr Thuluth. As such, the residents of Ras Al Tireh are compelled to get a special permit from the occupation authorities to even reside in the area. The issuance of such permit dependence largely on the mood of the occupation authorities as it imposes unattainable conditions on those requesting the permit. Consequently, a large number of Palestinians are not able to reach their agricultural lands which eventually would be used for the expansion of the nearby colony of Alfe Minshe.
Photo 1: The lands of the village of Ras Al Tireh isolated behind the Racist Wall.
Israeli Occupation Refuses to Provide Electrical Network to the Village using Frail Excuses:
On the other hand, the Ras Al Tireh village council submitted a request in 2004 to the so-called Israeli �Civil Administration� to be connected to the Israeli electrical grid. As it currently stands, the Palestinian communities of Ras Al Tireh, Al Daba�a and Wad Rasha (with a population of about 800) do not have a steady source of electricity. The problem is amplified nowadays especially with the increase in the price of fuel as these communities depend on diesel-based electrical generators to get electricity. Israeli occupation authorities are procrastinating to grant such a permit despite the fact that the village council has met all of the needed conditions set by the occupation to get the electricity connection. A number of excuses have been used by the occupation authorities to delay the hook up including the following; trying to provide the village of Kufr Qadoom of electricity first before Ras Al Tireh; the electrical generator is located in Area C which requires a special permit before being allowed to place the electricity station there. As of yet, the three villages are not connected to the electricity grid despite the fact that they have submitted the request four years ago.
Racial discrimination:
In addition to what was stated above, Israeli occupation forces impose strict policies against the Palestinian residents of the three Palestinian communities causing increasing life difficulties. Located in Area C, these population centers have no adequate sources of water and electricity in addition of being deprived from any building permits. The presence of the Palestinians in these communities is continuously threatened. Even international humanitarian organizations are prevented from reaching these communities without being issued permits from the relevant occupation authorities. On the other hand, the Israeli colonists in the nearby colony of Alfe Minshe enjoy all the privileges of ownership, moving as well as the right of building and residency despite their illegal presence in the area. This is an additional proof of the racial discrimination policies adopted by the occupation and its echelons.
Photo 2: The colony of Alfe Minshe
It is worth noting here that occupation forces have demolished on October 2007 a number of animal pens owned by Mr. Atallah Oudeh and Mr. Sameer Oudeh in an attempt to force them out of their lands.
Gate 1351: A Source of Agony and Humiliation for Palestinians: It is located between the villages of Ras Al Tireh and Ras Attiya. It is the only access point between these villages and its immediate Palestinian environs. Israeli soldiers manning the gate have made it a habit to delay Palestinians trying to pass the gate for long hours. They also prevent Palestinians from carrying through specific types of agricultural medicines and fertilizers while imposing quantity restriction on food items that can be brought into the two communities through the gate.
Photo 3: Gate 1351 which causes suffering and agony to the Palestinians.
Prepared by:
The Land Research Center
LRC
