- 15 oct 2010
Website to show Palestinian violence against Jewish farmers
Samaria Citizens' Committee attempts to combat "distorted image" of one-sided provocation.
Settlers struck a virtual blow on Thursday against Palestinians and Israeli left-wing organizations that have published digital evidence of Jewish violence toward Palestinian olive farmers.
On Thursday the Samaria Citizens%u2019 Committee opened up a new Web page on its site, for those who want to post evidence of Palestinian attacks on Jewish farmers.
Every year there are scores of one-sided burning stories of Palestinian olive farmers who have been victimized by Jews, the committee said. As a result, it continued, the olive harvest has been transformed from an agricultural event into a central media symbol to advance a political message.
To combat the distorted message of the Left, the committee said, it has decided to document incidents of Palestinian violence and left-wing provocation of settlers.
The committee plans to post photographs, videos and copies of complaints that settlers have filed with police about violent incidents.
Separately on Friday, settlers plan to gather near the Adei Ad outpost at 9:30 a.m. for a rally against Palestinian violence.
Those who come will call on Defense Minister Ehud Barak to resign and for the IDF to do a better job of securing the farmers and the settlements.
Rabbis for Human Rights said this week that Palestinians in the area of Adei Ad had found that 260 olive trees had been poisoned, an act they believe was done by Israelis.
They also said they had pictures of Israelis stealing olives in that area.
http://www.jpost.com/home/article.aspx?id=191477 14 jan 2012, 14:21 , Respect -
Maria 15 oct 2010
Settlers torch olive groves in northern West Bank
QALQILIYA (Ma'an) -- Firefighters were called to a Qalqiliya village on Friday after settlers torched Palestinian olive groves, a civil defense spokesman said.
Mohammad Amer said residents of the illegal Gevat Gilad outpost prevented fire engines from reaching Far'ata village. He added that tens of thousands of shekels of damage was caused in part due to the delay.
"It is provocative that firefighters were standing unable to offer help to the farmers or to extinguish the fire which was destroying their trees," Amer said. Urgent intervention was need to stop settlers preventing the civil defense from doing its job, he added.
Meanwhile, residents of villages west of Nablus said settlers burned hundreds of dunums of olive groves. Farmers from Sarra and Jit said their olive and almond crops were destroyed.
Ghassan Doughlas, who holds the settlements portfolio for the northern West Bank, said the incidents demonstrated that settlers wanted to destroy the Palestinian olive harvest.
He added that on Friday around 20 armed residents of the illegal Elon Moreh settlement opened fire on farmers from Azimut village as they picked theirs olives.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=324432 14 jan 2012, 14:23 , Respect -
Maria 16 oct 2010
Activist: Forces ban students, farmers from olive harvest
HEBRON (Ma'an) -- A human rights activist said Israeli forces banned farmers and students from access to a field for the olive harvest on Saturday in the illegal Hebron settlement of Tel Rumeida.
Issa Amr said dozens of students joined farmers to assist in the olive harvest but were stopped by Israeli forces who denied them access to the field "at gun point." The troops then declared the area a closed military zone, he added.
Following a Ma'an inquiry, an Israeli military spokeswoman said the army was not familiar with the report.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=324595 14 jan 2012, 14:26 , Respect -
Maria 17 oct 2010
Ni'lin Village(( the olive harvest)) 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsRtc2rWl6E
Since the building of the apartheid wall on our lands, which started 27.05.2008, Israel has prevented us from reaching our lands. Last week Israel issued 50 permits for the first time for people to go on the other side of the wall to harvest the olive trees. More than 2000 people who are in need of permits in order to harvest their land were denied access to their land. My family and I are among those 2000 people who didn't get a permit. It is all just to punish us.
When the people went to harvest their olive trees on the other side of the wall they had to wait for the soldiers for two hours until they came and opened the gate and the farmers were allowed in. It is an insult to our lives because before the wall was built we easily reached our land any time we wanted to. Since the Israeli occupation constructed this wall we need to apply for permits which are very difficult to get. Those few who did get them received them only for a limited time of five days.
After the farmers reached their lands, which is full of weeds and waste, they were surprised to see that the settlers and the soldiers put Israeli flags on the olive trees, stole and burned many olive trees. Only few trees, around 10 to 20, are still fine. The farmers were sad and depressed. Additionally, the farmers were confronted by the wild boars, which the Israelis release on our land in order to frighten us. One year ago, one man got hit by a boar during the olive harvest in Ni'lin and broke his back. When the permits were issued, the farmers were looking forward to see their land again, but once they reached their land, they wished they hadn't seen this destruction.
http://bit.ly/c9hxYu 14 jan 2012, 14:27 , Respect -
Maria 19 oct 2010
Group: 90% of claims on settler offenses fail
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- An Israeli rights group said Tuesday that over 90 percent of investigations into offenses against Palestinians carried out by Israeli settlers in the West Bank fail, a statement read.
Yesh Din's statistic was part of a report that suggested Israeli authorities have failed to prosecute Israeli settlers suspected of vandalizing Palestinian crops.
The rights group said that while monitoring the progress of 97 complaints filed against Israeli settlers for damage caused to Palestinian-owned trees, all have been closed by police on the grounds of "unknown perpetrator" or insufficient evidence to prosecute, failing to secure indictments.
Most of the trees damaged were olive trees, but other types of fruit-bearing trees, such as lemon and almond trees, the statement read.
Lior Yavne, Yesh Din's research director said the Israeli police's failure to respond to "ongoing harm done to the livelihood of Palestinian families" by closing the cases "are tantamount to an admission of the failure on behalf of the authorities.
"This failure only increases this phenomenon, as the assailants are not punished, and therefore are not discouraged from repeating their offenses."
The rights group said that while it does not document all offenses carried out by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, the investigation into the complaints "constitute a very broad sample" of investigations conducted by the Israeli police into ideologically motivated offenses against Palestinians.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=325424 14 jan 2012, 14:29 , Respect -
Maria 20 oct 2010
Residents allowed access to land after court petition
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The village council of Wadi Ar-Rasha in the West Bank, with the help of the human rights group Yesh Din, petitioned the Israeli High Court of Justice last week, asking the court to issue an injunction allowing residents to reach their groves and harvest olives.
Following the petition, the villagers were allowed to cross the barrier and reach their groves after security checks and even without permits. The village council received 72 personal passage permits. The petition was filed after requests to access their groves were declined by the Civil Administration. The refusal to grant these requests caused damage to the livelihood of the residents.
"It is very regrettable that Palestinian farmers, who are the biggest victims of the separation barrier and the security space, must petition the High Court to realize their right to reach their groves and harvest their olives. It is shameful that the State's declarations to the High Court regarding the effort made to avoid harming the Palestinians are proven to be hollow and empty," attorney Michael Sfard said.
The petition was filed by Sfard and Avisar Lev of the Yesh Din legal team.
The village is one of five Palestinian villages near the illegal settlement of Alphey Menashe. After the separation barrier was erected around the settlement, the village became an enclave. The court ruled that the village should no longer be an enclave surrounded by barriers. However, the village's agricultural fields and groves, measuring up to 500 dunams, remained inside the fence.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=325942 14 jan 2012, 14:33 , Respect -
Maria 21 oct 2010
Settlers attack village and steal olives
SALFIT (Ma'an) -- Settlers attacked residents of Kifl Haris village in Salfit and stole their olives, witnesses said.
Locals reported that residents of the illegal Ariel settlement attacked villagers as they harvested their olives.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces destroyed farmland in Al-Baq'a east of the West Bank city of Hebron, residents said. An Israeli Civil Administration spokesman said forces removed an illegal pipeline that was stealing water from Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Palestinian farmers have reported a wave of attacks by settlers since the olive harvest began in early October. On Tuesday, settlers set fire to Palestinian crops on farmland in the Husan village in the southern Bethlehem district, and on Friday fires started by settlers were reported in Qalqiliya and Nablus in the northern West Bank.
An Israeli rights group said Tuesday that over 90 percent of investigations into offenses against Palestinians carried out by Israeli settlers in the West Bank fail. Yesh Din's statistic was part of a report that suggested Israeli authorities have failed to prosecute Israeli settlers suspected of vandalizing Palestinian crops.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=326214 14 jan 2012, 14:34 , Respect -
Maria 22 oct 2010
Settlers attack family picking olives
HEBRON (Ma’an) -- Dozens of settlers attacked a family who were picking olives in Yatta, in the West Bank district of Hebron, witnesses said.
Locals said settlers attacked Othman Abu Sabha and his family, damaged his car and stole their olives.
Meanwhile, settlers entered Kfir Qaddum village east of Qalqiliya, and wrote graffiti on the walls threatening revenge.
Palestinian farmers across the West Bank have reported frequent settler attacks since the olive harvest began in early October.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has recorded seven incidents of settler violence against Palestinians related to the olive harvest this week, in a report released Friday. The incidents included physical assaults, and arson attacks on land. In one recorded incident, 2,000 olive trees were burned.
UNOCHA noted that the violence continued despite the deployment of Israeli forces sent to protect Palestinian farmers.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=326474 14 jan 2012, 14:35 , Respect -
Maria 23 oct 2010
Settlers chop almond trees in Beit Ummar
HEBRON (Ma'an) -- Dozens of Israeli settlers chopped down almond trees in the Wad Al-Wahadin area of the Beit Ummar village in Hebron, marking the second act of vandalism on Saturday.
Palestine Solidarity Project spokesman Mohammad Awad said settlers uprooted dozens of trees belonging to the Baher family near the Karmi Zur settlement and brought in bulldozers in what the spokesman said was an attempt to enlarge the settlement.
Five dunums of land were overturned in the process, Awad said, adding that several new settlement housing units were approved in the area.
Earlier Saturday, Israeli settlers cut down and damaged 40 olive trees in the northern West Bank village of Al-Lubban Ash-Sharqiya, southwest of Nablus city, locals said.
Akram Jamil Uweis, whose family owns the trees, said his family headed to the field early Saturday morning to harvest olives, and found 40 trees had been chopped down, but their olives had not been harvested.
He said that his family believed residents of the nearby illegal settlements of Eli and Ma%u2019ale Levona were responsible for the attack.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=326835 14 jan 2012, 14:36 , Respect -
Maria 23 oct 2010
Settlers cut down 40 olive trees
On Saturday morning, Salima Ewes, 73, and her family found 40 olive trees had been cut down in their field in the northern West Bank village of Al-Lubban Ash-Sharqiya, southwest of Nablus city.
Akram Jamil Uweis said his family headed to their field to harvest olives, and found their trees destroyed. He said the family believed residents of the nearby illegal settlements of Eli and Ma’ale Levona were responsible for the attack.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=326728
Palestinians: Settlers cut down dozens of olive trees
Owner of grove in Luban a-Sharkiya 'shocked' to see 40 uprooted trees; Palestinians say residents of Eli behind act.
Palestinians claimed that settlers from Eli cut down 40 olive trees overnight Saturday at the nearby village of Luban a-Sharkiya, which is located in the northern West Bank.
The owner of the grove, Raja Wazaus, said he was "shocked" to see that 40 of his trees had been completely destroyed. "The settlers uprooted them," he claimed Saturday morning.
According to the Palestinians, incidents in which settlers from Eli destroyed olive trees have repeated themselves a few times over the past month.
On Friday the slogan "Kahane was right" was spray-painted on several headstones in a Muslim cemetery in Kafr Qaddum, located some eight miles west of Nablus.
IDF forces launched an investigation and together with Civil Administration officers, erased the slogans.
Extreme right-wing activist Itamar Ben Gvir, a known supporter of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, denied any involvement in the act. "The spraying of slogans the likes of 'Kahane was right' is a popular phenomenon, especially as the anniversary of Rabbi Kahane's murder approaches," he said.
"We had nothing to do with the Kafr Qaddum incident. Personally, I think it's wrong to desecrate a cemetery, but I'm hardly moved by it. The Mount of Olives cemetery is desecrated daily, and I have yet to hear any condemnation from those shrieking now."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3973549,00.html 14 jan 2012, 14:37 , Respect -
Maria 23 oct 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DDdWhjdPBE -
Maria 24 oct 2010
Settlers Attack Dozens of Protestors, Spray Them With Wastewater
A group of fundamentalist Jewish settlers attacked on Saturday a group of nonviolent protestors who demanded Israel to reopen the Al Shuhada Street, in the southern West Bank city of Hebron. The settlers hurled stones at the protestors and sprayed them with waste-water.
The Youth Coalition Against settlements organizes weekly protests against the occupation and settlements while dozens of Israeli and international peace activists also participate in these protests.
On Saturday, the protestors, accompanied by delegates of a French solidarity group that includes mayors and officials, held their nonviolent protest and carried signs in English, French, Arabic and Hebrew, calling on Israel to open the Al Shuhada street and to remove the settlers.
They also demanded freedom of movement to all resident especially since Israel designates certain areas in Hebron as Jewish only.
As the protestors marched in the Old City of Hebron, settlers of the Avraham Avino illegal colony attacked the protestors by hurling stones at them and by spraying them with waste-water.
The settlement is located in the Vegetables Market that was taken over by the settlers and the army since 1994 and became a no entry zone to the Palestinians.
The protestors also marched towards a gate installed by the army to seal one of the roads that lead to Al Shuhada street, near Khan Shahin area, and demanded Israel to open all closed roads and to lift the illegal restrictions on the freedom of movement of the local Palestinians.
The head of the French organization stated that by touring in Hebron, he and his comrades, managed to observe the high price the Palestinians are paying due to the existence of settlements and the occupation.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59729 14 jan 2012, 14:42 , Respect -
Maria 24 oct 2010
Worker attacked by settlers in East Jerusalem
JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- A young Palestinian man from the Old City of Jerusalem sustained wounds and bruises Sunday morning after a group of extremist settlers attacked him near the Ramot settlement in the occupied city, his employer told Ma'an.
Anan Hijazi said his employee Muhammad Al-Beituni was assaulted by 10 extremist Israelis, "beating him brutally with empty bottles and stones." The injured was taken to the Hadassah Hospital in Al-Isawiya in East Jerusalem.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=326857 14 jan 2012, 14:43 , Respect -
Maria 24 oct 2010
West Bank olive groves become battleground
Most troubled harvest yet has seen attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinian farmers and trees, say human rights groups.
Eighty-year-old Rasmia Awase had left the best olive trees until last. She and her family had already harvested most of their crop when they went to a small plot near their home in Luban a-Sharqiya on Saturday morning.
Here were 40 trees that Awase had planted and tended herself, and they were now, two decades later, at their peak the most productive of all the trees, which support 37 members of the extended family.
But Awase found that someone had got there before them and had chopped down the trees, leaving stumps in the ground and branches scattered about the plot. The family blame hardline Jewish settlers from the nearby Eli settlement.
"I was in shock, I lost my mind," she said. "I planted these trees with my bare hands, I gave them 20 years of hard work and they are all gone." Each day of her long life was worse than the one before, she said with her eyes watering.
The Awase family are not alone in their experience. Among the tactics used by Jewish settlers this harvesting season are cutting down and torching trees, stealing fruit and attacking farmers trying to pick their crops, according to human rights organisations.
"It has reached a crescendo," said a spokeswoman for Yesh Din, one Israeli group monitoring incidents in the West Bank. "What might look like ad hoc violence is actually a tool the settlers are using to push back Palestinian farmers from their own land."
The upsurge in violence this year is attributed to a rise in settler militancy following the 10-month moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank and uncertainty about the outcome of the current, although stalled, peace negotiations.
According to Oxfam, which is trying to help Palestinian olive farmers realise the economic potential of their crops, some families are too frightened to pick the fruit. "We have seen a lot of olive groves burning and trees which have been chopped down," said the charity's Catherine Weibel. "People are clearly very stressed and worried, always afraid the settlers are coming."
Olives have been cultivated in the rocky hills of what is now the West Bank for thousands of years. Around 95% of the harvest is used to make olive oil, worth up to 364m shekels (£64m) a year to the Palestinian economy. Most farmers are small scale, growing trees on land that has been in the families for generations.
In recent weeks, there have been numerous reports of trees being stripped of their fruit overnight. Rabbis for Human Rights claimed that the olives from about 600 trees near the settlement of Havat Gilad were stolen before their Palestinian owners could harvest them. Police confirmed they were investigating the alleged theft.
The police had received 27 official complaints about sabotage since the beginning of this year's harvest, said a spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld. Sixteen Israelis had been questioned. "There are a number of ongoing investigations into damage caused in the past few weeks," he said. "We are working to prevent incidents on the ground. This is an ongoing problem that we have to deal with."
Damage had also been caused to Israeli property, added Rosenfeld.
Akram Awase, Rasmia's son, was sceptical about the protection offered by the Israeli police and military. "In the old days the resistance used to stop them [settlers]," he said. "Now there is no resistance, all of them are in jail. You can't do anything. Who do you complain to? The soldiers protect the settlers. They have raped our land and they will never leave it."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/24/west-bank-olive-harvest-attacks