Khiar Bsharat on the evening of 23rd October 2012On 23rd October 2012 Khiar Al-Din Bisharat, a local Palestinian contractor had his bulldozer confiscated. He now faces legal proceedings and a possible file of up to 10.000 NIS. This process could take months, and in the meantime he is unable to earn a living or support his family.

Khiar was working Al Hadidiya at around 1.30pm, when he was approached by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) and accused of preparing the land to establish a dwelling for a Bedouin family. However, he was actually clearing animal waste from around the homes and animal shelters of these Bedouin families who live very close to Ro’i settlement. As the settlement has expandedAl Hadidiya has lost more and more of their land. Thus, the area where Khiar was working was just 30m from the well of the settlement and 300m from the built-up area of Roi.

Health hazard and harassment

Traditionally, Bedouin communities move seasonally, to the mountains during the summer and the valley in the cooler winter season. In this way animal waste can be left to compost and feed nutrients back into the land, thus allowing nature to replenish itself.

The military occupation now prevents Bedouins from moving in the way they have done for generations. So, their traditional way of live and culture is being destroyed, and they have no means to clean the areas in which they live, other than paying to have the animal waste removed. By staying in the same locality throughout the year, animal waste collects, and with it come insects and animals carrying disease and illness that threaten the health and well-being of the communities. At the same time, Palestinians in these communities do not have access to water, refuse collection or health-care, leaving them vulnerable to infections and illnesses without access to adequate treatment.

Settlement contract work

Just that morning, Khiar had been working in Ro’i settlement, clearing agricultural sand in preparation for it to be removed from the settlement.

In other words, the same bulldozer that cleared soil from the settlement, then worked to remove waste from the Palestinian community, was finally confiscated by and remains in the hands of the IOF.

Court proceedings

Khiar will now be required to appear in front of an Israeli Military Court, but legal proceedings will only result in him having to pay a fine of up to 10,000NIS to regain possession of his bulldozer. It may take months before Khiar can retrieve his equipment and continue to work to secure his family’s income and livelihood.