Settlers from Massu’a settlement have once again extended the border of their agricultural land which they confiscated a few years ago. This is land that the Bedouins are currently living on. It is remarkable that the Israeli Massu’a settlement is established in the same place of Abel al Ajaaj refugee camp was in 1967.  They have confiscated tens of thousands of acres of fertile agricultural land and control the water in the Al Jiftlik area.  Anyone who travels through 90 highway road in the Jordan valley can easily see the resistant Palestinian community who manage to bear up under the horrible conditions. On the other side of the street are the green areas, swimming pools and electric fences of the Settlement.

Water pipes are going under the tents and the feet of the Edais family and electric lines are over their heads crossing through their community  to supply the settlements.  All these services are for the settlers and it is impossible for the Edais family to access the water or electricity or to build houses, roads or schools according to the Israeli Occupation Regulation.

More than this it has become increasingly difficult for families to stay in the area.  The settlements have been confiscating more and more lands in the last three years.  The settlers at Massu’a have expanded their lands for the third time and have  confiscated the yards and animal areas around the Bedouin tents.  Building new greenhouses looking down more and more on the Edais family shelters.

In the 1980s, the IOF (Israeli Occupation Forces) knocked down the only cement building in that area, this was the water well.

According to the Israeli Occupation Regulation it is not allowed for the Palestinians to build new houses, renovate old ones or build and repair roads. Even simple things like shelters for animals are not allowed.  It is difficult for the Palestinians living in this difficult situation.  Moreover they have knocked down hundreds of houses and shelters even those made of plastic.  The Edais community has been knocked down several times. Last year  the Edais family tried to complain to the Israeli and Palestinian coordination offices.  After a field visit to the community, the Israeli Coordination Office decided that the Edais family, who have lived here  since before the establishment of the State of  Israel in 1948, has no right to be there. And settlers who came from Russia nine years ago have the right to expand their fence. The settlers work according to occupation law and plan more 5 dunums of flowers that are grown to be exported to Europe.  This year the settlers are trying to expand their fence taking more land from the Bedouins claiming that the animals make a bad smell for the flowers.  That means the Palestinian community will lose the only dirt road they have to access their community.

Today we as Palestinians are losing another piece of our land for the benefit of the occupier.

Today we have a right to ask  the international consumers of the Israeli flowers: “Do you really need these flowers?”

The cost of these flowers is high for tens of hundreds of Palestinians.

We are asking: “Do you really need these flowers?” Please think about it.

Fathy Khdairat