Photos by JVS volunteers 27/07/2015 Shadmot Mehola settlementPhotos by JVS volunteers 27/07/2015 Shadmot Mehola settlement

Shadmot Mehola is an illegal Israeli settlement in the north of the Jordan Valley, established in 1979 on agricultural land belonging to the Al Fukha family from Ein El-Beida. In April 2015 the settlement started a solar panel project, using at least 10 dunams of stolen Palestinian land run by the Israeli company SolarEdge. SolarEdge began commercial shipments in 2010 and has systems installed in 74 countries worldwide. The CEO, Guy Sella, was formerly the Director of Technology for the Israeli National Security Council.

In May 2015 SolarEdge announced its collaboration with the US company Tesla to create the Powerwall (a system that stores solar and electrical energy).

95% of the Jordan Valley is designated Area C where Israel does not allow Palestinians to build, or install solar panels themselves. In March the Israeli military confiscated 12 solar panels from the Palestinian village, Khan Al-Ahmar. The solar panels had been donated to the village by the Palestinian NGO Future for Palestine to finally bring a few hours of electricity to the village each day. However, on the same day the panels were installed, Israeli forces dismantled and confiscated them. A Palestinian resident of Khan Al-Ahmar said, “They say it’s illegal. What’s illegal? It’s even mobile. He can have electricity but I can’t? This is my home.”

Israeli forces are seeking to expel the Palestinian residents of Khan Al-Ahmar, by making everyday life and access to vital resources such as electricity and water increasingly difficult, in order to link the nearby illegal Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim to Jerusalem. Khan Al-Ahmar is the last remaining link between the north and south of the Jordan Valley for Palestinians – the ethnic cleansing of the village would further isolate Palestinians in The Valley.

SolarEdge is an Israeli company working in the illegal Israeli settlement Shadmot Mehola. Below is a list of some of the international companies working in partnership with SolarEdge, complicit in illegal Israeli occupation and ethnic cleansing in the Jordan Valley:

Tesla Motors (USA)

Flextronics (USA)

Pontchartrain Mechanical Co. (USA)

Elletronord (Italy)

AliusEnergy (The Netherlands)

Solco (Australia)

Sveigaard (Denmark)

Yomatec (France)

Also partnered with Gadot Solar Solutions (Israeli company) to distribute SolarEdge technology across Europe.