At this time of year, residents of the Jordan Valley area are preparing to harvest agricultural crops planted in the winter, and to prepare and raise livestock for sale during Eid al-Adha. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to Lenges and alerted them to their homes and lands. , Where they have been living for hundreds of years.
"In any future peace agreement with the Palestinians, our position will not change, which is that our presence in the Jordan Valley must continue for the security of Israel and for the security of all," he said.
"For those who say that in order to reach peace, Israel has to withdraw from the Jordan Valley, I tell them that the Israeli withdrawal will not bring," he said in remarks to Netanyahu accompanied by National Security Advisor John Bolton during their visit to the Jordan Valley on June 23. Peace, but will bring more war and terrorism. "
Accelerated annexation process
In front of these statements, the people of the Jordan Valley stand between the fear of the next fate, and the islands of suffering continued for 52 years, where their presence on the brink of displacement at any moment to come.
"88 percent of the Jordan Valley is under Israeli control on the pretext of security purposes," said a member of the Wadi al-Maleh local council and the nomadic Bedouins in the Jordan Valley. "Most of these lands are based on military training points, The occupation is trying to bring and develop the population. " "Israel deals with the Jordan Valley as part of its state. It is a border area with Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, and it has huge financial benefits on its budget. It seeks to invest all the projects in it, so Netanyahu will not give up easily."
In his speech to Emirates Today, Daraghmeh pointed out that Benjamin Netanyahu, following his victory in the Knesset elections held last April, hastened the process of annexing the West Bank to contain these areas on the most important water sources, especially the Jordan Valley, In Palestine, and its underground reservoir, as well as the existence and spread of major settlements in its territories classified as areas (C), under full Israeli control under the Oslo agreement.
The Palestinian Jordan Valley stretches from Besan to Safad to the north, from Ein Gedi to the Negev to the south, from the middle of the Jordan River to the eastern slopes of the West Bank to the west, while the A areas are under the control of the Palestinian National Authority, with an area of 85 square kilometers and 7.4% (B), a shared area shared by Israel and the Authority, with an area of 50 square kilometers, 4.3%. Area C is under full Israeli control, covering an area of 1155 square kilometers and constituting 88.3% of the total area of the Jordan Valley.
According to Daraghmeh, 31 settlements, most of them agricultural, have been built on the lands of the Palestinian Jordan Valley, which have been built on 12,000 dunums, in addition to 60,000 dunums annexed to it, with 8,300 settlers.
Deportation practices
The areas of the Jordan Valley, known as the Palestine Food Basket, are subject to settlement expansion, attempts to displace the population, and control over the rest of the land in which Israel has abandoned more than 50,000 residents of the Jordan Valley since 1967, as well as entire population groups, , Including the displacement of the people of Khirbet al-Hadeed in the northern Jordan Valley. In June and July 2010, more than 90 demolitions took place in the Red Head and Aatuf villages, displacing 107 families.
"The Jordan Valley is the food basket of Palestine," says Ahmad Abu-Hassan, 27, who owns a cattle farm in the Persian community of the northern Jordan Valley. The land and its vast areas are confiscated for various purposes. The occupation attempts to prevent the Palestinians, And daily practice of cracking down on citizens in the area by handing over notices of demolition of their homes and farms, forcing them to forced displacement ».
He pointed out that during the past months sheep shepherds from the communities of Farsi located in the Tubas governorate in the northern Jordan Valley have been subjected to increasing attacks by settlers, which take many forms starting with threats, persecution and beatings, noting that these attacks are almost daily, In which.
"Last May, I was on my way to the livestock farm, which is located to the north-east of my house. The settlers came out to expel us. They shouted obscenities against us. They followed us to prevent us from being in our land. They managed to help the army that closed the road. , And has reiterated this position several times over the last few days.
"We live in a climate of fear. Every day we expect to be expelled from our homes. We do not know where to go. In the west of my house there is a training area, and in other areas there are several settlements."
Israel treats the Jordan Valley as part of its state. It borders with Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. It also benefits from its budget. It seeks to invest all the projects in it, so Netanyahu will not easily relinquish it.
The Jordan Valley is the food basket of Palestine. The land and its vast areas are confiscated for various purposes. The occupation attempts to prevent the Palestinians from reaching them in order to force them to forced displacement.