DistantNews
Support us
🇶🇦 Qatar /Conflict & Security

Palestinian farmers rebuild what Israeli settlers destroy in the West Bank

From Al Jazeera · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Ongoing story
  • Farmers in Burin say settler attacks and Israeli military actions have destroyed greenhouses, irrigation systems, trees and wheat fields.
  • The Land and Farming Cooperative estimates that greenhouse damage alone cost about 30,000 shekels, while newly purchased tomato seedlings also died.
  • Despite the losses, the cooperative’s farmers continue working to preserve their connection to the land.

When Israeli army vehicles enter Burin, Ghassan Najjar’s phone begins ringing. The calls come from farmers who know that soldiers are moving through the village and closing shops, while the community’s agricultural land faces another threat from nearby settlers.

Najjar belongs to Burin’s Land and Farming Cooperative, which brings together about 25 families. Its members do not have the weapons to confront Israel’s military power, so they focus on farming and maintaining their connection to the land.

On July 13, a settler tried to bring livestock into one of the cooperative’s five greenhouses. Members kept the animals out until Israeli border police arrived. Najjar questioned the officers because the army had designated the area a closed military zone, although Israeli citizens are also formally barred from entering such zones.

You’ll see.

— Unidentified settlerThe settler said this to Ghassan Najjar after a confrontation over livestock entering the cooperative’s greenhouse.

The settler left angrily and told Najjar, “You’ll see.” The following night, about 10 settlers arrived. They tore away the plastic sheeting from all five greenhouses and destroyed the irrigation networks. The cooperative estimated the plastic damage at roughly 30,000 shekels, or about $10,000. About 9,000 tomato seedlings bought that morning, worth 8,000 shekels, died within hours because the farmers had nowhere else to plant them.

The cooperative says this has been its most difficult year, with repeated attacks by settlers and the army. Najjar said more than 1,500 olive and other trees were later lost, some burned by settlers and others cut down or uprooted by military bulldozers. Of 10,000 square metres planted with wheat, 7,000 square metres burned before the summer harvest. Most of Burin’s farmland now lies in military closure zones that, Najjar said, are renewed every month or two. Even after the damage, the farmers continue rebuilding.

We’re talking about 25 families working inside the cooperative. This year is the most difficult year for the cooperative. We’re facing many attacks by the settlers and the army.

— Ghassan NajjarNajjar described the wider impact of the destruction on the cooperative’s member families.
About this summary

Originally published by Al Jazeera in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog