Violation: The Planning and Construction Committee delivered a citizen a stop-work order
Location: Khirbet Yarza- Tubas governorate
Date: March 06, 2014
Perpetrators: The Israeli Planning and Construction Committee
Victims: A farmer named Salem Masaeed
Details:
On Thursday, March 06, 2014, Salem Masaeed (58 years old) received a military order obliging him to uproot the seedlings he planted one year ago in his land that is adjacent to Al Tayasir checkpoint.
According to the order, the farmer was given a respite until March 27 to uproot his seedlings that are 1000 in number and planted in a land that is supposed to be under the control of the Jordanian authorities yet has not been spared from being attacked.
Mr. Salim Masaeed commented on the military order by saying that: "A year ago, I embarked on reclaiming my land near Al Tayasir military checkpoint, east of Tubas, in a bid to protect it from serving the military interests of the Israeli occupation that aims to seize agricultural lands in the area. However, since the first day, I have been harassed by the Israeli army who refused me passage and kicked me out from my land several times. At last, I managed to plant olive seedlings in my 120 dunum piece of land."
"Before reclamation," Masaeed added, "my land was uncultivated for 20 years and left for the Israeli soldiers who used it for military trainings. Then I decided I should protect my land from being Judaized and taken, so I started taking care of it, much to the dismay of the occupation that carries on with targeting land and depriving us from basic human rights."
A question keeps spiraling in Masaeed's mind and that is: What threat on the security of the Israeli occupation does an olive seedling pose in a place that direly needs greenery scenery and water?
Prepared by
The Land Research Center
LRC
