21st October 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus team | Jordan Valley, Occupied Palestine
On October 20th, the Israeli military destroyed six structures belonging to a family in the village of al Jiftlik, in the Jordan Valley.
At approximately 6:00 am, Israeli soldiers destroyed the family home of Mohammed Mousa Mohammed Abohernam, as well as five other buildings, including his family’s storage unit and two buildings used to house goats.
Mohammed and his father.
The village of al Jiftlik belongs in “Area C” of the occupied West Bank, which is under full Israeli military civil and security control.
Al Jiftlik village is also used as a testing area for Israeli weapons.
As ISM activists interviewed the family, four Israeli jets flew in formation over the village in two, separate passes.
Abohernam said he intends to rebuild his home.
His father, and grandfather, lived on the same land. “This is my land and I am not leaving,” he stated.
13th April 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Al Maleh, Occupied Palestine
The Israeli military oppression of Palestinians living in the Jordan Valley can take many forms, including the systematic confiscation of essential tools and materials, to physical punishment and arrest.
The latest act of harassment by the Israeli army in the Jordan Valley took place five days ago in the Al Maleh area, where 26 water tanks were confiscated, depriving the local population access to their water supply. To reclaim the stolen water tanks, the Local Council has been forced to pay 5,000 shekels (over 1,000 euros) to the DCO (District Coordination Office). However the tanks will not be returned for a further 10 days, even after the payment has been completed.
Arif Daraghmeh, local councillor of the area, reports that in the early 1990s, the Israeli army built infrastructures diverting the natural course of the water, and that these actions might be the direct cause of several springs drying up in the region. This is just another case of deliberate harassment that ISM has previously reported.
Other acts of harassment include physical punishment, demolition of tents and constant intimidation by the Israeli army. Arif Daraghmeh reports that he was recently forced to stand for nearly two hours under the sun in a nearby checkpoint.
The Al Maleh area is only populated with nylon tents and minor buildings, generally for cattle. The council has been trying to build a school in the area in recent years, but has not succeeded yet. According to Arif Daraghmeh, there are approximately 300 children that go to school in nearby towns by bus, however this bus has only been available in the last two years. Previously the children had to walk long distances to school.
The presence of the Israeli army and settlers from nearby illegal settlers are very common in the Al Maleh area. The Jordan Valley is considered to be Area C (under full Israeli civil and security control), as well as a military buffer zone with neighbouring Jordan. Military training, therefore, takes place in Al Maleh on a regular basis and trainings in an area with a civil population often have a high price. Since 2011, two people have died and 11 have been injured due to explosives left behind from military training. The most recent injury was five months ago; a Palestinian famer lost three fingers on one of his hands.
The Local Council has contacted other authorities, including a member of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), to discuss the situation. Other contacts have been made with OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations) as well as the Red Cross; the latter in relation to the explosives frequently left in the area. It is noteworthy that such behaviour by the Israeli army goes against the Protocol (II) on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices (Geneva, 10 October 1980). Article 3 clearly states that the use of conventional weapons, such as mines, can only be directed against military targets. No incidental loss of civilian life, or damage, is allowed. The Israeli state ratified this Protocol in 1995.
None of the above organisations have managed to improve the situation, and the water issue continues to be an urgent problem today.
17th March 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team | Jordan Valley, Occupied Palestine
The Israeli occupation in Palestine can be seen in many different ways.
In the Al Maleh area of the Jordan Valley (area C, which is under full Israeli military control) 450 Palestinian families, including 100 Bedouin families are spread through 13 villages. All of them live in tents and have no running water or electricity.
Within the Al Maleh area there are six illegal settlements and seven Israeli military bases daily harassing and intimidating Palestinian villagers. Five days ago, Israeli forces “confiscated” 300 dunums of Palestinian land, ignoring the Palestinian owners who hold legal ownership.
When international activists visited the stolen land yesterday, the site was already under construction, possibly to build a new illegal settlement or an extension of a military base.
The Israeli military bases in the Al Maleh area are responsible for many crimes against the Palestinian villagers. Two years ago, two young people, aged 18 and 20-years-old respectively, were assassinated during a “training” session.
The “training” is regularly used to justify demolitions of homes, destroying livelihoods and families in the process. Currently, there are 275 active demolition orders and 750 Palestinian structures that have been destroyed and forced to rebuild in the last year.
It is clear that living in Al Maleh is a daily struggle. In this part of the Jordan valley, agricultural working is the main source of income. However the lack of water, caused by Israeli government polices, continually hinders this way of life. For instance, 33-years-ago in Hamamat al Maleh village, the Israeli government poured concrete into the ground in order to cut off access to a natural spring access. This injustice continues to affect the village every day.
In many villages cultivating livestock is the main income, however the Israeli military can and does claim “security reasons” and confiscates some of these vital animals. Confiscated animals are then held in a structure in Jericho. 3000 shekels is the normal fine Palestinian farmers must to pay in order to have their cow returned.
It seems evident that in Al Maleh, the Israeli military seeks to make life as difficult as possible for the Palestinian villagers living in the area. Israeli forces have not been held accountable for the crimes they have committed and it is clear that these offences will continue while the international community stays silent about the daily injustices being carried out in the Jordan Valley
The confiscated land where construction has already begun (photo by ISM).
Large amounts of Israeli forces and Border Police have made several attempts to raid the reclaimed village of Ein Hijleh and in return the villagers stopped their forced advancement into the center of the village. There were many cases of teargas suffocation as well as an injury in the leg resulting from a teargas canisters being shot directly at the youth preventing the raid.
A man suffering from teargas suffocation in the village of Ein Hijleh. (Photo by PSCC)
These events came as a result of Israeli forces confiscating a welcome sign in the name of Ein Hijleh that was placed on the so called Route 90.
Furthermore, two Palestinian youth were injured last night (3rd February) after physical clashes erupted with Israeli Forces. Palestinian popular resistance activist Abedallah Abu Rahmeh was injured in his arm resulting in multiple fractures, as well as Palestinian youth Mohammad Al-Khatib suffered from several rib fractures. Both were taken to a hospital in Jericho for treatment. It is important to note that Israeli forces impeded the entry of the ambulance carrying the patients back to Ein Hijleh and forced the medical crew as well as the injured to continue their way on foot.
The village is under continuous besiegement by Israeli forces in which water, food supplies and medical crews are prevented to enter.
In regards to the village activities for today, (4th February) the villagers have renovated several homes, volunteer work in which 150 trees donated by the Environmental Relief were planted around the village. Evening activities carry on including art activities well as cultural and political discussions.
Moreover, Israeli forces have detained 18 volunteers as they were entering/exiting the village including an international solidarity activist whom was released later on. This escalation comes as a series of attempts by Israeli forces to place pressure on the village as seen from the attempts on raiding the village on the fourth and fifth days (February 3rd and February 4th) of the reclamation of the village. However, the villages prevented these attempts by creating human chains and face to face confrontation.
The organizational committee conducted a meeting in which the weekly agenda for next week was created and agreed upon. The agenda is as follows:
Wednesday: Day of solidarity and expanding popular activities in reviving and renovating the lands and houses of Ein Hijleh.
Thursday: Day for diplomatic participation and embassy representatives to inform them on the situation of Ein Hijleh including information about the siege on the village which bans the entry of food, water, medical supplies, and journalists by Israeli forces.
Friday: Friday prayer in the village followed by a volunteer program for planting trees and continuing the renovation of the homes in Ein Hijleh.
Saturday: Cultural Academic day in which lectures for Palestinian university students will be held to inform the students about the reality and history of Ein Hijleh.
Sunday: Day of prayer will be held in the village to reiterate the unity of the Palestinian people regardless of the religious, ethnic, and political differences.
All days will include cultural activities in which Palestinian academics and artists will take part in during the evening.
Diana Alzeer 0592400300 or 0549168321
Abdallah Abu Rahmeh 0599107069
Salah Khawaja 0598886943
Thaer Anis 0549292422
Israeli forces invading the village of Ein Hijleh (Photo by PSCC)
Hundreds of Palestinians announced today the launching of “Melh Al-Ard” (Salt of the Earth) campaign by reviving the village of Ein Hijleh in the Jordan Valley on land belonging to the Orthodox Church and St. Gerassimos monastery. The campaign is launched in refusal of Israeli policies aimed at Judaizing and annexing the Jordan Valley.
Campaign organizers and participants declared,
We, the daughters and sons of Palestine, announce today the revival of Ein Hijleh village as part of Melh Al-Ard campaign in the Jordan Valley. The action aims at refusing the political status quo, especially given futile negotiations destroying the rights of our people for liberation and claim to their land.
Accordingly we have decided to revive an old Palestinian Canaanite village in the Jordan Valley next to so called “Route 90” linking the Dead Sea to Bisan. The action is part of a continuous step against the Israeli occupation’s plan to take over and annex the Jordan Valley. This step is a popular act against Israeli oppression of the Palestinian people and the constant Judaization of the land.
From the village of Ein Hijleh, we the participants announce that we hold tight to our right to all occupied Palestinian lands. We refuse Kerry’s Plan that will establish a disfigured Palestinian state and recognizes the Israeli entity as a Jewish State. Such a state will turn Palestinians living inside lands occupied in 1948 into residents and visitors that can be deported at anytime. We affirm the unity of our people and their struggle wherever they are for our inalienable rights.
Ein Hijleh village is located in what is called “Area C” in the Jordan Valley, which is under threat of annexation by Israeli policies and Kerry’s plan. Therefore, we have decided to take charge and call for a national action to protect the Jordan Valley and put an end to the constant Judaization of Palestinian lands.
Based on our support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) we call upon our friends and international solidarity groups to stand with the demands of the Palestinian people and boycott all Israeli companies including Israeli factories and companies that work in the Jordan Valley and profit from Palestinian natural resources.
For instance, we ask you to boycott Mehadrin, the largest Israeli exporter of fruits and vegetables, some of which grown in the Jordan Valley. In addition, Hadiklaim, that exports dates produced by Israeli settlers in the Jordan Valley. We also call on you to boycott both Ahava and Premier, cosmetics companies that use Dead Sea minerals to produce its products.
Our Palestinian village is located near Deir Hijleh or St. Gerassimos monastery, on land that is property of the Orthodox monastery. The land mainly consists of few deserted old houses and palm trees. The white soil is highly concentrated with salt, and the area is surrounded by lands taken and used by Israeli settlers. An Israeli base is separating the land from Deir Hijleh monastery which owns a property of about 1000 dunams, some of which are taken by Israeli forces for the excuse of “security reasons.”
The campaign, “Melh Al-Ard”(Salt of the Earth), quotes a phrase from the bible, Matthew 13:5, which says, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “The name of our village, EinHijleh, is based on the original Canaanite name and the water spring (Ein) present there.
We the sons and daughters of Ein Hijleh call upon our people to join the struggle to revive the village and protect our rights, history, culture, and land. Daughters and sons of Palestine, be the salt of this earth and stay steadfast on it.
MEDIA CONTACT: Diana Alzeer, 0592400300 or 0525339054
