In a Congressional Briefing in Washington D.C on November 14th, the Mayor of Wadi Fouquin, Ahmad Sokar alongside Bethlehem Mayor, Anton Salman came to present the effects Israeli settlements have on their Palestinian communities in the West Bank. Sokar displayed visuals of the Wadi Foquin village, emphasizing the island his land is soon becoming.
Wadi Fouquin currently has about 1,400 people living in the territory. The village sits next to Beitar Illit, a Jewish Orthodox colony established in 1984, one that Mayor Sokar refers to as an “illegal settlement.” On August 3rd, 2017, Benjamin Netanyahu visited the second largest Israeli settlement, Betar Illit, for a groundbreaking ceremony, as a new neighborhood of 50,000 people opened up. Netanyahu also made promises and plans for further development in his address. In the Prime Minister’s address, Netanyahu expressed his “obligation to develop” Betar Illit, and joked that it was growing so rapidly, that “soon Jerusalem would be a suburb of Betar.” This expansion is intimidating to the Mayor of Wadi Foquin, and was the final push that brought him to Capitol Hill. Sokar told stories about his village and showed pictures of his community in a slide show. He emphasized community projects, like cultivating honey through bee hives, and women’s basket weaving initiatives, both serving to support economic growth in the community. Sokar also mentioned youth programs helping children to learn first aid, Hebrew, conflict resolution and job seeking skills. He presented visuals of the grazing sheep on their land and the fields of fruit and olive trees, an essential source to the community’s livelihood and culture. Betar Illit is situated about six miles south of Jerusalem and west of Bethlehem. One of Netanyahu’s promise to the Betar Illit community was to help link the settlement with Jerusalem by helping to build a connecting road between the cities that would “cut commuting time [into Jerusalem] by 15 to 20 minutes.” The route to this projected road is a source of threat for the village of Wadi Foquin. So far, transportation created for ease of access between settlements are prohibited to Palestinians, forcing them to find alternative routes to travel. The current construction of expansion and road development to Jerusalem is cutting off Wadi Foquin’s only road leading to their village. Sokar expressed concern for the future of his village. The surrounding settlements and road ways are “swallowing up” his community. Wadi Foquin has already been facing challenges with the sewage from Betar Illit settlements regularly overflowing into their village, damaging the agriculture. He also fears the confiscation of further settlement expansion, “there will be no more land for our sheep to graze,” Sokar said. During the briefing, Sokar noted the difference between the two legal systems in Israel. Civil Law is a civilian legal system for Israeli citizens, and Military Law is a military court system for Palestinian residents. Wadi Foquin falls under the Military Law, which, according to Mayor Sokar means, “We have no civil rights.” He closed by reminding listeners that under international law, all settlements are illegal and without validity. As for Netanyahu, international condemnation doesn’t seem to deter him. “There is no government that does more for the settlement of the Land of Israel, as this land under my leadership,” Netanyahu assured Betar Illit.
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AuthorKatie Elizabeth: Writer, Wonderer, Wanderer. ArchivesCategories |