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Report published: Settlement expansion and ethnic cleansing in Palestine: A Jordan Valley case study June 2009

Settlement expansion and ethnic cleansing in Palestine: A Jordan Valley case study June 2009

Settlements and exploitation in the Jordan Valley

This week UK Customs and Excise have at last taken the first step in challenging the Israeli's illegal settlements by (a) recognising that they are mislabelling their produce to avoid paying tax to any European countries they export to and (b) proposing that the EU act to stop this practice. The news reports in the UK and Israeli press have spoken about illegal Israeli settlements, but have failed to explain the impact that these settlements have on the everyday lives of Palestinians and their hopes of establishing a viable state.

Struggle for survival in Al Hadidiya

Abu Sakker's family home in Al hadidiya 27 Oct 08Abu Sakker's family home in Al hadidiya 27 Oct 08For the last six years the people of Al Hadidiya have faced constant intimidation and threats from the IDF to leave their homes and farmland in the Jordan Valley. They have had homes demolished, farm machinery confiscated and to date have demolition orders on all of their remaining homes and animal shelters. There are eight families left living in tents with no water or electricity.

Birdlife in the Valley

The Palestine Wildlife Society has recently installed 64 nesting boxes for barn owls and kestrels in the Jordan Valley, in the area around Atuf village. Imad F. Atrash, director of the Palestine Wildlife Society, arranged for a public event on the 2nd of January 2008, to celebrate the completion of this project at Atuf school.

Resourcefulness and tenacity

Our first night was spent in Al Jiftlik, a village with the surreal scenario of being half area B and half area C, meaning half gets electricity and building rights while the other half lives in the 9th Century. (We ate in area B and slept in area C, at least Palestinians still have permission for this.) This is the village reported by previous delegations as having a tent school due to Israel’s refusal to allow the Palestinians to educate themselves.

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