{mosimage}They look different than us, but their actions and their solidarity with us makes them part of our people and companions to us in our struggle against the occupations’ policy of land grab, bulldozing, and installing the annexation Wall.
Translated by, Saed Bannoura – IMEMC
Residents of Jayyous village, near the West Bank city of Qalqilia, are unable to reach their orchards to plant them. International peace activists became their main link with their land.
Fayez Saleem, a resident of Jayyous, said that the soldiers refused to allow him to enter his land isolated behind the annexation Wall; he wanted to plant the land with olive bushes.
After being unable to reach his own orchards; international peace activists volunteered to plant olives they brought with them.
Delegates from the British Union of Churches attempted to cross through the gate of the annexation Wall in order o reach the isolated orchards, but the soldiers did not allow them, apparently fearing that they will observe the true suffering of the villagers who depend on agriculture as their main source of livelihood.
The delegates were forced to wait behind the gate; two hours later, a military jeep arrived to the scene, parked near the internationals and the soldiers started cursing and humiliating them.
Resident Mohammad Al Jayyousi, accompanied the delegates to translate their conversations with the local residents.
Al Jayyousi said that the delegates informed him that the reports they watch in the U.K about the suffering of the Palestinian people do not even present part of the larger reality on the ground.
“They told me that these reports are not realistic, and do not show the real suffering of the people”, Al Jayyousi stated, “These Israeli violations are continuous and escalating against the residents, this policy does not have pity on children or adults”.
Israel is obstructing the entry of internationals into the Palestinian territories, and is forcing them to leave the country after rejecting to renew their Visa’s.
An International peace activists speaking on condition of anonymity said that he wishes ti remain in Palestine , to be among the Palestinian people who are facing daily abuse and injustice, but the Israeli government are forcing most of the activists out of the country.
Palestinian orchards have been the main target of Israeli bulldozers, Israeli policy of settlement construction and expansion.
Now the annexation Wall is swallowing more lands from the residents, lands which are being used for the construction of the Wall and lands that became isolated behind it.
