Soldiers prevent farmers from planting olive trees near Bethlehem

Monday February 01, 2010 21:36 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

The Israeli military prevented, on Monday, Palestinian farmers and their international supporters from planting olive trees near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem.

Soldier Preventing farmers from planting trees near Bethlehem on Monday – photo by Photo by: Anne Paq/Activestills.org

Farmers from Jeb Al-Theeb area , near the Herodion temple site, South of Bethlehem city are constantly under attack by settlers from the nearby Israeli settlement of Nokdin.

Today, famers, with the help of international supporters, tried to plant 50 olive trees on the lands they own. As soon as the group started to plant the trees, armed settlers arrived and threatened to attack the famers.

The action today was organized by the Local Committee Against the Wall and Settlements Construction to show support for the famers.

Shortly after, Israeli troops arrived at location and told farmers to leave along with the internationals. The soldiers said that the farmers must prove their owner ship of the land to the military before they could continue to farm it.

The farmers say that they have ownership deeds of the land that date back to the Ottoman era. The settlement of Nokdin is where current Israeli foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, resides. All Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law.

bethlehem | israeli attacks | news report ghassan at imemc dot org