Allegations of stolen land are as old as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict itself, particularly in the occupied West Bank. Some settlers are taking this to ridiculous extremes, however, renting tractors and literally stealing dirt by the ton from Palestinian farmers.
To understand how something like this is even possible, we need to look at the meandering Israeli military “barrier of separation” built across the West Bank. In many cases, the giant wall cuts directly through Palestinian-owned lands, leaving a farmer’s home on one side of the wall and his fields on the other, leaving the fields unworked, unguarded.
In these cases, it is trivial for the settlers to “steal land” by the truckfull, and carry it off elsewhere. Practically, it is cheaper than buying fill dirt, and the Israeli military virtually never follows up on complaints from Palestinians.
Attacks on Palestinian farmers aren’t always about theft though, sometimes they are just about spite, as 162 complaints have been filed with Israeli police about settlers chopping down or otherwise uprooting olive trees and other fruit orchards. Of the 162 complaints, only one ever led to an actual indictment, and settlers continue to believe, quite correctly it seems, that they can attack Palestinians with virtual impunity.
One day people will look back on this and see it as the U.S. supporting the Berlin Wall. What a disgusting travesty.
I don't understand the bit about "spite". The phrasing of that sentence makes it sound as though Palestinians are being spiteful, in which case it doesn't make sense given the attacks on their livelihoods and property.
Was the phrasing meant tongue in cheek?
God bless america and israel where all war criminals reside
This is not an aberration. This is not new. This is what Israel is. They have been doing exactly this sort of thing since their initial drive for independence. The land had a people, and they set about making it a land without a people. They even boasted of it being without a people, while outnumbered by all those non-people. We armed it, paid for it, provided political cover, and now fight and die for it.
They have national health insurance and we don't, but we pay much of the bill for theirs. They are rich, but take half of all our foreign aid. They take and take and take. Stealing the dirt from under farmers by the truckload is just a normal day for them.
"Why make dirt, when you can get it for free?" An old Jewish adage.
And cutting down the olive trees? Just providing the material for the olive wood carving industry those Arabs have.
Someone should supply these Palestinians with guns, and a tacit warning to all illegal squatters that they will die should they trespass, and thieve/destroy Palestinian property. These squatters live in a fantasy world, and must be made to pay in blood if necessary.
Why is the Press always calling them Israeli SETTLERS ? The proper description is LAND THIEVES or LAND ROBBERS !!!
i wish i could help Palestinian to get thier land back. israiel is the most ugliest government in history. God bless Iran and Hezboolah of Lebonan.