With a sigh of sadness Palestinian farmer Abdullah Mar’ee looked at his annexed plot of land in Farkha village west of Salfit which was once an olive grove before Israel took it over along with other vast tracts of Palestinian land and built large factories in their place.
“We planted olive saplings on 25 dunums of land in Karm Ashour area west of Salfit and we were happy with them especially when we saw them starting to yield olive fruits of the Nabali type but all of a sudden the settlement of Ariel encroached on our land” Abu Mar’ee said.
“They built a factory for cosmetics another for sweets and a huge iron plant and their bulldozers are still embarking on razing more lands belonging to us and others” he added.
The farmer also accused the Israeli army of suppressing marches protesting Israel’s settlement activities and land grabs in the agricultural areas of Salfit.
“The occupation already quelled marches and some farmers protested near Beit El but to no avail. They claim they are state lands and sometimes they provide security pretexts or say those lands are located in Area C to justify the annexation of Palestinian lands” Mar’ee stated.
“Until today there are bulldozers belonging to settlers razing and devouring lands whether in agricultural or pastoral areas.”
“The settlement expansion reduced grazing areas and led to a decline in the number of livestock. Small rock-hewn pools in the area were also destroyed particularly near the archaeological village of Qarqash.”
Israel’s expansion of industrial zones
For his part specialist in settlement affairs Khalid Maali has also affirmed that the industrial zone of Ariel settlement in Salfit is encroaching and expanding around the clock.
According to him there are three industrial zones established on agricultural and pastoral lands belonging to local residents in Salfit province.
The Israeli authorities also plan to seize more Palestinian lands in Salfit to expand its industrial zones and build others with no regard to the negative impacts of its settlement expansion on the lives of local residents Maali warns.
