Burin (Yitzhar), Deir al Hatab, Madama

Share:
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email
Observers: 
Tzvia, Nurith, a photographer, guest from France and Irit (reporting). Driver: Ra’ad Issa; Translator: Hanna Kahana
Mar-21-2018
|
Morning

Survival Agriculture

We went out to learn about the fields, the processing of which is limited as if they were situated behind a fence and an agricultural gate

We arrived in the morning at the building materials shop of A. at Deir El Hatab to learn from him how the March plowing had passed at the plots belonging to the village, in which the army forbids the farmers to work every day.

These are plots which aren’t separated by a fence and an agricultural gate, but nevertheless they are subject to the same regulations. Maybe, apart from this, no other authorisations are required to reach them. Nevertheless a farmer who would dare to arrive at a time that hadn’t been coordinated collectively in advance with the army, would risk his life. Whoever wasn’t able to arrive during these two days, would risk that his land would not be plowed. It won’t also be ploughed during the rest of the year. The next date for the collective authorization is in October, for the olive picking.

A photograph of private plots of the Deir El Hatab farmers on 21.3.18, after two days of the permit to plough, in March of this year. Photo by A.S.

The ploughed plot can be identified in the photo by its brown colour. These plots are very far from the road to Alon More which was built on the lands of three villages, among which Deir El Hatab, and they are also far from the special security area of 200 meters, by which the length of the road was השתלטותsurrounded. (see BeTzelem report: Clearing – Building – Exploitation 2016).

These plots of Deir El Hatab survived after the robbery of 58% of them in favour of the Settlement of Alon More and the Reservation of Har Kabir. Many of the plots in the reservation,  were taken over by the outposts of the Alon More Settlement.

On other plots of the village which are situated in the Har Kabir reservation, A. showed us the caravans which had been built there a short time ago. Yesh Din who will deal with this taking over, after Tsvia will have established the contact.

From a similar variation which we described here in the report of 7.3.18,  it is clear that there are plots in this category – lands the measure of which in the West Bank has not yet been assessed, as well as the range of the economic disintegration ensuing from this trick. And in the long run the danger that the area might be proclaimed as abandoned.

Another matter which we discussed with A. was the demands for the rehabilitation of Maqam Sheih Bilal. In this difficult matter it is as usual a stop forward, two or three backward. But together with him we insist to break an opening in the block of denial and disregard regarding the Maqams disintegrating on the mountain tops.

At Burin we tried, with the help of our farmer lady friend D. to clarify the same matter. She has plots bordering on the Givat Ronen outpost which is situated on lands belonging to her family, as well as plots nearer to Yitzhar.

The daily threat of the settlers on herself on her own land – made her and her husband buy a 5 dunam plot in the village of Burin and to process.

IMG_20180321_143800

D. in her plot in the Village of Burin. Photo by A.S.

She rented part of the plot out to a couple of friends, to build a hothouse where they sprout seeds.

 
  DSC_0065



Photo of the hothouse

The hothouse on D.’s plot. Photo by N.P. Drip irrigation

.D. and the farmer lady she rented to plot to,  sow The fakus sprouts which germinated in the hothouse. The water I also a problem to be contended with. At the moment there is still no budget for a drip irrigation system. A big water tank has been buried in the earth, and the watering is done by means of watering cans.

D.’s creative solution cause admiration. It is advisable to buy seedlings at the hothouse and lettuce at D.’s plot in Burin, on the way to Madama.