On 15th April 2010 the Israeli army raided four homes in the small village of Al Farisiya and ‘confiscated’ four water pumps (source POICA.org:The Confiscation of 4 Water Pumps in Khirbet Al Farisiya). The community have responded with determination by running new water pipes to their land with the support of the LifeSource Project and Jordan Valley Solidarity.

When the army arrived on 15th April it was not a new experience for those living in the village. For years they have been subjected to harrassment, clearly aimed at pressurising them to leave. In April 2008 their water pipes were cut, and the area around a spring they had been using as a source of water for years was declared a Closed Military Zone. They have also been living under the cloud of demolition orders that were served on all the homes and animal sheds in 2008 – never knowing when the Israeli army will choose to execute the orders. At the same time the nearby illegal settlement of Maskiot is expanding.

In the face of this ongoing repression, the local community came together with the LifeSource Porject and volunteers from Jordan Valley Solidarity and have run fresh piped water to their area. This will enable them to irrigate their crops, care for their animals, and have fresh water for drinking, cooking and washing.