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Olive harvest and Colonialism in expansion in Kafr ad Dik

12th November 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwwara team | Kafr Qalil, occupied Palestine

For the past six days, international activists joined a Palestinian farmer, Fares Deek, in the harvest of his olives outside Kafr ad Dik village, located inside Salfit governate. For the past 16 years, the area has been a target of expanding illegal Israeli settlements.

Fares field is today surrounded at the north, east and west sides by Lashem settlement, started in 2010, with 700 units inhabited and another large number under construction.

Military check-point at the metal road gate

“They surrounded all my land and cut my road coming to my land. When they finish, I think I cannot come to my land.” Fares explained about the situation he is living in.

Fares reported that until now, Israelies, have stolen 700 dunums to build Lashem, leaving seven families that own fields in the same hill, without their land, only to establish this illegal settlement.

“They stole all my neighbors lands from the north and the east. In the future maybe in the south, maybe me.”

Eight months ago, bulldozers destroyed the agriculture road that used to lead up to Fares field.

Lashem has also cut him off the road to another field he owns, now on the north of Lashem illegal colony.

It used to take Fares 5 minutes to drive from Kafr ad Dik to the land, but to reach it now he has to cross a valley, after driving through Der Ballut and Rafat villages, then he needs to climb for half an hour to the top of the mountain where the field is. The last time he visited that field for the harvest was in 2013. The time and the money needed makes it hardly worth the out-put anymore.

Fare’s mother watching the destruction of her land

Two other settlements, Pedu’el to the south and Ale Zahav, behind Lashem, to the east complete to enclose his field. Just like Lashem, the illegal colony of Pedu’el, is also being expanded. Also to the north of Kafr ad Dik, the village Fares lives in, the new illegal settlement of “Sahar” is being formed on top of the mountain that Palestinians know as, Daher Subeh.

The area is being advertised as a quiet, peaceful place for Israelis to move to, according to Fares Deek.

“Israeli wants to encourage people to live here. As living cost is less, all the water you want is available, good for factories and no taxes!

maybe in the future in Salfit area all the mountains will become settlements.”

Bulldozer working in Pedu’el illegal settlement

“They work quickly, building new units, they look carefully at Salfit area. Compare Jerusalem area and Salfit area, they are doing the same.”

During the first day of the harvest, many settler colonists showed up at Fares field. Some of the colonists where openly carrying firearms and monitored the family while picking their olives.

“I have a bad feel about zionism. About anyone who came to take your land, to take your freedom, and take your hope. How would anyone in the world feel if he had to go through all this?

What that can make people feel? A bad feeling”

There is a well in Fares land that he used to use for drinking water, but 6 years ago after settlerers started to throw down big rocks and to take baths inside it, he couldn’t use it any more.

Dust is being spread from the bulldozers working on Lashem, causing damages for the olive trees.

Bulldozer working at the edge of Farres land at the place where they cut his agricultural road.

“All the years the harvest suffers because of the dust. The olive trees cannot breath good air because of the dust. They are between life and death.”

As we drove with the family towards the field the second morning harvesting, the Israeli army had put up a check-point at a metal road gate in the exit of Kafr ad Dik. The team was stopped for a total of 28 minutes by the four soldiers that were operating this checkpoint. Even though Fares said that he was going to pick his olives, the soldiers demanded to check IDs and kept asking questions.

When we finally got told to leave, Fares said that this was a common occurrence.

“They are doing this only to stress the people.”

This road gate was closed for 5 years between 2000 and 2005, forcing the people of Kafr al Dik to take an alternative route in order to exit the village, Fares explained.

Fares also reported that he has frequent visits from the Israeli forces while working in his field. He explained that there is a military tower in Pedu’el and sometimes the army will arrive very quickly after he enters the field.

“They tell me I have to have a permit to bring people here. I tell them that this is my land I’ll bring people here anytime I want. Sometimes they tell me you have to go back before the sunset. This makes me afraid about the future, about the land, what will happen in the future. I’m not having big problem now, but they will finish the units and come to live here in Lashem, they will tell me “you have no permit to come here”. Maybe they will put gates, fences. That is the future”

Also he thinks that Lashem will be finished in one to two years and that he is not sure if he will be able to harvest the olives next year.

“I’m afraid about the future, about the situation in Palestine, about Salfit, about my village. Israel is building more and more units in all settlements and started to build three new settlements since 2010 till now. That means cut more and more land, making new streets. Where is the solutions if they build more and more? The idea of a Palestinian state will die. And the pressure on Palestinians is always more. That is very bad”

“I want to tell people that we suffer and I invite people to visit Palestine to see with their own eyes to know who has the right to live here. I want to encourage Palestinian people to stay in the land as well.”

Olive harvest in Kafr Qalil and protective presence

2nd November 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Huwwara team | Kafr Qalil, occupied Palestine

On 31st October international activists joined a Palestinian farmer and his family in Kafr Qalil to pick their olives. There was no interruption during the harvest this day, but there was a strong sense of pressure that is always present for Palestinians living under Israel’s illegal military occupation. The land that was worked on is between the illegal Israeli settlement Bracha and the road that leads up to the settlement. The family has been attacked and physically assaulted by settler colonists from Bracha in the past.

The main road to Nablus in-between the two Israeli apartheid roads. The road in the foreground leads to Bracha illegal settlement and the road seen above the main road leads to Elon Moreh settler colony.

The farmer reported that he was only given 6 days of permission by Israel to finish harvesting his own land, but said that he would need at least 20 days to be able to pick the olives from all of the around 300 trees that he owns.

Farmers in the village of Kafr Qalil have been targeted in settler attacks over several years. There have been various reports of settler colonists stealing crops, farming equipment, animals and throwing rocks at the Palestinian families as they harvest. Israeli forces have also repeatedly stopped farmers from reaching their land.

Teargas canister found leaving the olive fields after the day’s harvest.

The village has also lost land to the illegal settlement Bracha and its outpost, both of which are built on land that belongs to Kafr Qalil and the nearby Palestinian village of Burin.

In May 2013 Israel issued a military order that confiscated a further 3.55 dunums of land that belongs to Kafr Qalil in addition to the many dunums stolen over the years to establish and spread the illegal settlements in the area as well as to be used by the Israeli forces.

Furthermore, Israel has confiscated land from Kafr Qalil to construct two bypass roads. One road links the illegal Bracha settlement with the nearby Huwwara military checkpoint and the other road provides exclusive access for settler colonists between the same checkpoint and another illegal Israeli colony, Elon Moreh. These roads can only be used by Israelis and Palestinians are forbidden from driving on them. The Israeli bypass roads are one example of the apartheid-like system Palestinians are forced to live with under Israel’s illegal military occupation.

Olive harvest next to the illegal settlements in Bruqin

23rd October 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah-team | Bruqin, occupied Palestine

On October 21st, an ISM-team joined farmers in the village of Bruqin, Salfit district, for the olive harvest. The family’s fields are occupied by an illegal Israeli settlement and they are denied access to their land by the Israeli military except during the olive harvest.

A team of solidarity activists went to meet the farmers and set out to the olive fields together. The crop this year was very small as the access restriction prevents the farmers from caring for their trees during the year. The wild condition of the field made the harvest more difficult and less fruitful. Neither settlers nor military appeared during the harvest day.

In 1999, the illegal Israeli settlement Burchin was established near the village of Bruqin. The establishment of this illegal settlement led to local farmers being denied access to land which has belonged to their families for generations. In 2011, the settlement structure was expanded by several baracks, confiscating even more land. The illegal settlers have repeatedly harrassed the local farmers verbally, phyiscally and by also cutting down olive trees in their fields. Moreover, the local farmers are harrassed by the Israeli military every year, trying to deny them access to their land even on the day of the harvest. On one of the local family’s fields, the access restriction and harressment by settlers and military has led to a huge decrease in gain from the harvest from formerly 1000 kg of olives per season to now 30 kg of olives per season.

Apart from the harrassment and land restrictions, the nearby illegal industrial settlement Barkan streams its toxic waste water down into the village of Bruqin. This poses also an environmental threat to the olive harvest and the peoples’ health in the village in general.

The olive field is overgrown as the access restrictions prevent the local farmers from caring for their fields during the year

World Week of Peace 2016

24th September 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Bethlehem, occupied Palestine

Fire. That seemed to be the theme yesterday as we celebrated World Week for Peace in Bethlehem. Fire, when tear gas canisters erupted into flames in the Aida refugee camp, showing the continued violence. Fire, as we lit candles in the shape of the West Bank, signifying hope. And fire in our hearts, symbolizing our determination to fight for justice until peace prevails. Although the evening began with empty seats, this was not due to a lack of attendants. In an all too symbolic manner, tear gas filled the air during our worship service for peace, causing our visitors to seek immediate shelter inside. Once the tear gas finally subsided and mint leaves were passed out, then a beautiful service was finally able to begin. Following the beautiful words preached by our speakers, we demonstrated that love, hope, and peace will always prevail. This was shown by igniting tear gas canisters outlining the borders of the West Bank. But these canisters contained candles instead of the harmful smoke they usually carry. As each candle was lit, a prayer and a promise was made to dismantle barriers by continuing the nonviolent fight against the occupation, knowing one day that the wall will fall!

Israeli soldiers invade Bil’in in attempt to break the people’s spirit

22nd September 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, Ramallah-team | Bil’in, occupied Palestine

Approximately fourty soldiers invaded the central West Bank town of Bil’in early morning of September 22nd. The army confiscated at least three laptops, one hard-drive, five phones, and two camera memory cards from the homes of six local activists. Bil’in community members feel this was part of an ongoing attempt to break the spirit of the town and disrupt the ability for community members to share their stories on social media.

Israeli forces in Palestinian family home Photo credit: Haitham al-Khatib — Israeli forces in Palestinian family home
Photo credit: Haitham al-Khatib

The soldiers barged into Bil’in at 2:30 A.M., waking up entire households, including several children. They then interrogated the activists, and haphazardly searched through their entire homes. Ashad Abu Rahmah, who is attaining his masters in Business Administration, realized after the soldiers left his home that they had taken his computer hard drive. “They want to break our courage and willingness to post anything about Bil’in on social media and news sources,” states Ashad. “But they will not succeed in this,” he continues.

The army suggested they would return the stolen items to some, but historically, promises such as this have been little more than empty words. Haitham Al Khatib, who filmed the invasion says, “I am still waiting for them to return my car, and video recording devices which they confiscated from me in a night raid before three months”.

Ashraf Abu Rahmah, whose home was one of those raided, saw the loss alone of items totaling around 4,500 shekel worth of technology. Ashraf has spent significant time in prison from consistent arrests. In 2008, while blindfolded and handcuffed as caught on tape, Ashraf was shot in the foot by a soldier. He is also the brother of Bassem and Jawaher Abu Rahmah, both of whom were killed by by Israeli army in Bil’in. For families like Ashraf’s in particular, it’s incredibly important to have access to cameras and computers in order to share internationally the stories of what takes place in Bil’in.

Additionally, the homes of Rateb Abu Rahmah, Abdullah Abu Rahmah, Bassil Mansour, Muhammed al-Khatib and Ahmad Abu Rahmah were also raided.

Watch a video of Israeli forces storming into the homes of Bil’in activists.

Night raids have deep psychological impacts on children and adults alike. Many community members struggle with persistent nightmares and Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder. Raids such as these have been a consistent disruption in the town of Bil’in for over seven years, with no sight to an end of this terrorizing tactic.

After similar raids in the past, the town has seen an increase in arrests of non-violent activists for resisting the illegal annexation of Bil’in to the illegal Israeli settlement Modi’in Illit. But this raid will not deter the community from attending nor documenting the weekly demonstrations which have taken place for the past 11 years against the illegal annexation of their land.