The Israeli Police was deployed, Saturday, around the newly installed Palestinian village, Bab Al-Shams”, and handed the activists eviction notices threatening that the army will evict the new “outpost” should the activists fail to remove it.Local activists at the Bab Al-Shams voiced an urgent appealed to journalists, human rights groups, and any person who believes in the Palestinian legitimate rights, to join them and stop the eviction.
They said that their village was installed on Palestinian lands, located within the boundaries of the occupied state of Palestine.
The Israeli army declared the area a closed military zone, and prevented journalists, local and international peace activists from entering it.
A statement, issued by the Bab Al-Shams (Gate of the Sun) activists, said that this Palestinian village “was established by the sons and daughter of Palestine.”
“We the people, without permits from the occupation, without permission from anyone, sit here today because this is our land and it is our right to inhabit it”, the statement added.
The army and the police installed dozens of roadblocks in the area while dozens of local activists are trying to reach the village through the surrounding mountains.
Bab Al-Shams was established on Palestinian lands that belong to the At-Tour Palestinian town, in occupied East Jerusalem. The area in question is referred to by Israel as E1 where Israel decided to build thousands of homes for Jewish settlers.
The village is located in the area located between occupied East Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim illegal settlement bloc where Israel is planning to build thousands of units for Jewish settlers.
The Israeli settlement project would block any geographical contiguity of the Palestinian territories, and comes in direct violation of International Law.
Statement published on Bab Al-Shams Facebook Page;
We, the sons and daughters of Palestine from all throughout the land, announce the establishment of Bab Al Shams Village (Gate of the Sun). We the people, without permits from the occupation, without permission from anyone, sit here today because this is our land and it is our right to inhabit it.
A few months ago the Israeli government announced its intention to build about 4000 settlement housing units in the area Israel refers to as E1.
E1 block is an area of about 13 square km that falls on confiscated Palestinian land East of Jerusalem between Ma’ale Adumim settlement, which lies on occupied West Bank Palestinian land, and Jerusalem.
We will not remain silent as settlement expansion and confiscation of our land continues.
Therefore we hereby establish the village of Bab Al Shams to proclaim our faith in direct action and popular resistance. We declare that the village will stand steadfast until the owners of this land will get their right to build on their land.
The village’s name is taken from the novel, “Bab Al Shams,” by Lebanese writer Elias Khoury. The book depicts the history of Palestine through a love story between a Palestinian man, Younis, and his wife Nahila.
Younis leaves his wife to join the Palestinian resistance in Lebanon while Nahila remains steadfast in what remains of their village in the Galilee.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Younis smuggles through Lebanon and back to the Galilee to meet his wife in the “Bab Al Shams” cave, where she gives birth to their children.
Younis returns to the resistance in Lebanon as his wife remains in Bab Al Shams.
Bab Al Shams is the gate to our freedom and steadfastness. Bab Al Shams is our gate to Jerusalem. Bab Al Shams is the gate to our to our return.”
