Israeli soldiers barred dozens of residents of Bil’in village, west of Ramallah, from reaching their orchards to pick their olives.
The residents and international peace activists attempted of Friday afternoon to reach the farmlands, carrying tools used in picking the olives, and ladders, but the army barred them from reaching the orchards located near a construction site of the Separation Wall.
Several residents and activists managed to cross to the other side of the Wall and started picking the Olive trees.
2300 Dunams planted with Olive trees were annexed behind the Separation Wall area, and to the settlement of Mit-Tat Yahu, which was constructed over lands annexed from the residents of Bil’in, and the neighboring village of Kharabtha Bani Hareth.
Every Friday, residents of Bil’in, in addition to Israeli and International peace activists hold their weekly procession against the Separation Wall.
Bil’in is well known of its peaceful resistance against the Separation Wall and the Israeli policies of land grab and annexation.
The ISM media office informed IMEMC correspondent that that the theme of today’s activities was to pick Olive trees located behind the Separation Wall, taking in consideration that villages depend on their lands for their daily livelihood.
The office informed the IMEMC that 60% of the orchards are going to end behind the Separation Wall, which will bar the villagers from entering their farmlands.
Also, the Wall was set in a way which enables the expansion of Modi’in Elite settlement although the settlement itself did not get an expansion approval from the Israeli government.
