Abu Akrum - Bethlehem
Abu Akrum grew up in Bethlehem's Deheisha refugee camp. His family was displaced from their village near the "green line" as a result of Israeli violence during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
Of all the people I have met in Palestine Abu Akrum is one of the most inspiring. He turned an area of cactus overrun land, within the refugee camp, into a thriving jungle of a garden that provides many of his family's vegetable needs.
10 years ago Abu Akrum bought a 23,000 square metre area of farm land in an area of bethlehem district called Al Khader. He now makes a small living as a farmer of fruit, vegetables, and honey. This living is, however, far from easy. The land that Abu Akrum farms is now on the wrong side of Israel's separation wall, and upon the wall's completion there is no guaruntee that he will be able to use this land as he does now. The dirt track that connects Abu Akrums land to the main Jerusalem-Hebron road is in a state of such disrepair that to farm this vast area of farmland in a way that is economically viable is next to impossible.
Recently Abu Akrum's farmland summer house was broken into and set alight, ruining over 1km of irrigation piping as well as tools. With a small Israeli outpost settlement just over the hill above his land, Abu Akrum suspects the settlers. There are many other reports of abuse of Palestinian farmers by Israeli settlers in this particular area, including claims of farmers being shot at.
In the background of the above picture is the Israeli settlement of Betar Illit, another colony illegal under international law but now considered by israel as part of the defacto state. Betar illit is on the hill tops above the village of Wadi Fukin, another formerly highly productive area within the west bank. Now, however, due to Israel's economic constriction of palestinian farmers Wadi Fukin is slowly becoming a village operating at little more than self-sufficiency.
Some rights reserved
Uploaded on Jan 10, 2009
1 comment
 
abu zakaria
Abu Zakariya is from Al Khader, a formerly and predominantly agricultural area at the centre of Bethlehem district, and an area that stands to lose the vast majority of its farmland if construction of the separation wall continues unheeded. Since the construction of the wall on the hill tops behind the residential part of the town, Abu Zakiriya’s journey to the family farmland has been at least doubled. The 2km detour he makes with his donkey takes him out and around the town, through an Israeli military ‘flying checkpoint’ and then down the hard shoulder of a busy dual carriageway – the Jerusalem, Hebron route 60 – a now infamous settler Bethlehem bypass road used by settlers to access not just Heron but a number of large Israeli West Bank settlements. There are no facilities or facilitations for farmers on this road. After walking down the dangerous hard shoulder for more than 1km farmers must then cross the busy dual carriage way unaided.
Abu Zakariya’s family land is a relatively large, 50 dunums (5 hectares), consisting predominantly of ecologically important ‘marquis’ scrub and trees including oak, blackthorn, pistachio, carob, as well as a number of cultivated fruit varieties. For most part however, due to older age and the little help Abu Zakariya receives, he is only able to farm perhaps just one dunum of this land, upon which he has a number of new fruit trees and grape vines, as well as older olive trees. Certainly the most significant factor contributing to the demise of Palestinian farmland in general is the issue of access. While Israel may negate claims that it is stopping Palestinian farmers from using their land, especially in areas that Israel considers of strategic importance, it is certainly hindering farmers to such an extent that to farm this land viably is becoming increasingly difficult as well as far from an enjoyable experience. When the hard work that goes into this land gives very little return it is easy to understand how family land is slowly being given up in favour of more profitable business. The younger generations are of course in need of higher wages, especially in consideration of the cost to support the large families that Muslims tend to have in this region. If Palestinians want to hold onto this land, however, huge steps must be taken to help farmers like Abu Zakariya. When land such as his sits untended for more than three years Israel has given itself the power to confiscate it as ‘state land’, declare it militarily closed, and ultimately at a later date ‘develop’ upon it. If money could be raised to repair farm tracks and allow ease of access for larger trucks at harvest time, to transport farmers themselves to their land, to build rainwater storage cisterns, this land can be saved and a viable healthy living made from it.
If anybody is interested in working as a volunteer with farmers such as Abu Zakariya, please contact us.
All rights reserved
Uploaded on Oct 12, 2008
0 comments
Abu Akrum
Abu Akrum grew up in Bethlehem's Deheisha refugee camp. His family was displaced from their village near the "green line" as a result of Israeli violence during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
Of all the people I have met in Palestine Abu Akrum is one of the most inspiring. He turned an area of cactus overrun land, within the refugee camp, into a thriving jungle of a garden that provides many of his family's vegetable needs.
10 years ago Abu Akrum bought a 23,000 square metre area of farm land in an area of bethlehem district called Al Khader. He now makes a small living as a farmer of fruit, vegetables, and honey. This living is, however, far from easy. The land that Abu Akrum farms is now on the wrong side of Israel's separation wall, and upon its completion there is no guaruntee that Abu Akrunm will be able to use this land as he does now. The dirt track that connects Abu Akrums land to the main Jerusalem-Hebron road is in a state of such disrepair that to farm this vast area of farmland in a way that is economically viable is next to impossible.
The picture above shows Abu Akrum sitting outside his "summer house". Traditionally, during the summer months farmers and their families would move away from the city and live out on their land where they could be nearer to tend to their crops more easily.
Recently Abu Akrums summer house was broken into and set alight, ruining over 1km of irrigation piping as well as tools. With a small Israeli outpost settlement just over the hill above his land, Abu Akrum suspects the settlers. There are many other reports of abuse of Palestinian farmers by Israeli settlers in this particular area, including claims of farmers being shot at.
In the background of the above picture is the Israeli settlement of Betar illit, another colony illegal under international law but now considered by israel as part of the defacto state. Betar illit is on the hill tops above the village of Wadi Fukin, another formerly highly productive area within the west bank. Now, however, due to israel's economic constriction of palestinian farmers Wadi Fukin is slowly becoming a village operating at little more than self-sufficiency.
All rights reserved
Uploaded on Sep 14, 2008
0 comments
sheikh hani
Sheikh Hani Abu Adam, amongst the things in his second hand goods shop - bethlehem.
Hani is a teacher of progressive Islam in his local mosque but has got in all sorts of problems because of his unwillingness to bow to either Hamas or Fateh, the two main rival political factions in the Palestinian territories. As Hani is a muslim he has difficulty finding work with Christians and because he is an outspoken opponent of Hamas' conservative policies has received all sorts of threats and blockades from finding work in his local community who, presumably, are scared of any hamas repurcussions.
Because of these problems Hani is tired of living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and wants to work abroad and send money home to his family.
This is such a sad situation where the powers that be (Israel / USA) have interjected to weaken any Palestinian political organisational capacity and in so doing have achieved the 'divide and conquer' ethic perfected by the British and now used wholesale throughout the world, forced on all but the democratic. The rise of Hamas is largely attributable to Israeli funding in an attempt originally to break Arafat's secular PLO. Israel now funds Fateh (PLO) and stands exposed of funding the training of Fateh militants in Egypt and further transporting them across the Egypt/Gaza border in an attempt to stir up fighting and weaken the Hamas movement.
Hani represents just one of the many in this humanitarian fallout. He tells me how his dream is to ride a motorbike through Europe up into scotland, and "to sleep under the moon, next to a lake."
All rights reserved
Uploaded on Aug 27, 2008
4 comments
wall - bethlehem
Here the wall circumnavigates a house on three sides. However, like the berlin wall - one day......
All rights reserved
Uploaded on Aug 27, 2008
0 comments
|
