With tears filling his eyes the Palestinian farmer Mansour Marayta pointed to his farmland in Marda village in Salfit which has been turned into Israeli buildings laboratories apartments parks and bypass roads.
The 78-year-old man could not stop them from taking his land the home of his childhood memories although he has the documents that prove his ownership of the stolen property.
Memories
Marayta said that the Israeli authorities seized over 20 dunums of land that once belonged to his family in favor of the construction of Ariel settlement and its university.
Remembering the old days Marayta said “We used to start work in our farmland at daybreak enjoying the fresh air and the morning songs of birds. We were happy. We were able to enter our land and leave whenever we wanted. All this is now gone.”
“Our days were better and more beautiful before the settlement. The occupation came and turned our life upside down. Joy and happiness became misery and humiliation” he added.
Against the law
“Despite the challenges” Haj Mansour continued “We will defend our lands until the last breath. The land means everything to us: life livelihood future and home. No matter how long the occupation lasts it will eventually come to an end.”
Anti-settlement researcher Khaled Ma’ali said that Israel’s confiscation of Marayta’s land in favor of settlement construction violates international law which bans the occupying power from building on the lands it occupies.
Ma’ali pointed out that Ariel settlement’s university was built on lands privately owned by poor Palestinian farmers from the villages and towns of Salfit Marda Iskaka Yasuf Jamain Qira and Kifl Hares.
He added that Israel took advantage of the world’s respect and appreciation for knowledge and science and expecting no opposition it built Ariel university the only university for Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
