Abu's farm

Saturday, July 24, 2010
Jayyous northern check point #943 to Abu Azzem’s Farm

A road between Israeli settlements passes through occupied Palestinian land along the edge of Jayyous, separating the village farmers from their land. To cross the road the farmers must pass through an Israeli check point that is administered by the Israeli army. The farmers must have a pass to reach their land. Some enter with their tractors and others with donkeys and carts. The donkey must also have a valid pass. Each family member or worker must have their own individual entry pass. The passes must be renewed every 6 months or a year.
The check point gate is open for one half hour in the morning and one half hour in the afternoon. The Palestinian farmers are not permitted to stay on their land over night. Therefore, their work day is defined by the openings of the gate. Check point #943 is presently open at 9am and 6pm.
This day, after counting the number of people, donkeys and tractors that cross, we cross the check point and Abu Azzam follows with his tractor and trailer. We meet him on the other side of the road and climb on the trailer to travel to his land. (It makes it easier for the farmer if we cross the check point separately). It takes a few minutes for the soldiers to consult about letting internationals pass. We have passport identification from Ireland, Switzerland, South Africa, and the United States. This is an agricultural gate and the soldiers are puzzled that we would want to go through.
Our tractor and trailer pass through olive groves to an expanse of land bare of trees with an Israeli settlement visible on a hill in the distance. Looking more closely we see stakes in the ground marking out the places for over 1000 new settlement homes on this land that has been farmed by Abu’s family for several generations. This land has been in dispute in the courts with lawyers attempting to negotiate a settlement. However, there are 9 people on the negotiating team and they must all be present for the discussions and decision. Each time they come together for a meeting, one of the Israeli representatives is missing, therefore no meeting can be held and Abu’s claim to the land is fading away.
Meanwhile, Abu’s land, staked out by Israeli officials for houses, has been stripped of its olive trees by the Israeli government. We see some of the stumps lying on the ground. In a few places there are new shoots from stumps that have not been pulled up. Abu shows them to us saying, “Our olive trees will not accept the desecration of the land. These new trees represent hope for Palestinians.” Some of the rest of his land still has olive trees and fruit trees. We pick several baskets of figs while we are there as well as some prickly pears for lunch.
Israeli law states that if land is not farmed for two years it may be claimed by the state as unused or abandoned land. The rest of Abu’s land is in danger of being taken because he must prove he farms the land. The government takes pictures of the land twice a year to demonstrate that it is not being farmed. The Israeli government takes the pictures after the spring harvest and before the fall planting when there is no evidence of activity in the fields. This is the “proof” the government will use to claim the land. Abu continues to fight for his land that was Palestinian before the war in 1948.
It is difficult to maintain a sense of dignity and hope in this situation of restricted access to the farms, destruction of olive trees, the staking out of the land for new houses, and the regulations against Palestinian development and building. Over breakfast in the one building he has on his farmland, Abu tells the story of this building. It began as a shelter without walls. When the inspector came and asked about this structure Abu explained it was shelter for him to get out of the hot sun in the middle of the day. Next he built some walls and improved the roof. The inspector returned. Abu told him that it was only a shed where he could store his farming equipment. The inspector said, “OK.” However, Abu continued to build. He added a room and finished the inside to make a living room/dining room and a kitchen/bedroom. He also built on a small bathroom.
Then the inspector returned and said, “What is this you are now building. If you finish this you will get a notice that it will be torn down. You have no permit to be building a house.”
Abu smiled as he finished telling his story about his “palace.” He lifted a blanket that was hanging on the wall to show us a place where the building was not finished!
The life of farming is very uncertain for Abu and his neighbors in Jayyous. His “palace,” as he calls it, can still be marked for demolition any day. 1000 houses can be built on his land without compensation. The gate that blocks his access to his land can be late opening or not open at all some days. Therefore, while he waits for justice and peace in the land, his hope is nourished with a joke on the building inspector and with the people like ourselves who will tell his story until the world hears the cry for an end to the occupation based upon international law and relevant U.N. resolutions.
Peace on you, assalamu “alaykum, John