Mufaqara – settlers harass Palestinians
1
Masafer Yatta
To get to Mufaqara we came with a 4×4 vehicle. First we went to At-Tuwani.
Nasser Adara tells about the events of the last few days. On Sunday night, the Ma'on farm people cut down 15 of their large 10-year-old olive trees from a section at the foot of the settler farm.
The day before, settlers came and threw stones at people who were working in the field. Stones were also thrown into the water hole and they tried to destroy the stone fence they are constantly building to mark their plots.
Nasser praises, this time, the police and the army who came and removed the settlers. The Palestinians have transferred the matter to a lawyer.
He tells us that after the demonstration that he held together with his sons and his friends, amongst them Jewish volunteers, against the barrier that the army built in Jimba in an attempt to limit the movement of the Palestinians and make it even more difficult them to travel between the settlements, the security forces gave in to the pressure and opened the way and now life is easier.
We saw near his house a car belonging to an organization that treats children with Down syndrome.
To our question, he explains that he got the car on loan for 4 months after the organization had bought a new one and he drives the children with it from their homes to the school at At-Tuwani and back home.
He hopes that he will receive donations to buy the car which will make it easier easier for the children who now walk miles every day. Today the children were happy about the transportation but also about returning home earlier.
It turns out that there is a strike. Again, the teachers did not receive a salary from the Palestinian Authority.
We went to Mufaqara to Fadal. It was cold, rainy and hail also falling. On such a day you enter the cave near the fire. Fadel says that he can't graze his flock at all because from the moment he goes too far settlers come down from Havat Ma'on and chase him away.
This is state land, they say, not yours. He didn't go out today because of the rain, but on other days they prevent him from going anyway.
According to him, during the time when he was trying to plough and sow, he was also prevented from doing so...it's always by the people of Havat Ma'on who, despite the police and the army, feel free to bully, abuse and make life bitter.
It is a nightmare and not a life because of the settlers in the south of Mount Hebron Hills.