Jewish settlers today stormed the Al-Badhan village, a picturesque holiday destination, northeast of Nablus city, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Mayor of Al-Badhan Emad Salahat said that some 30 Jewish settlers barged their way into Wadi al-Badhan, a famous holiday destination, where they remained for two hours and left.
The settlers came from the nearby colonial settlement of Elon Moreh, located atop the mountain overlooking the Al-Badhan village.
#Israeli Forces Uproot Hundreds of #OliveTrees in #WestBank Village https://t.co/Q3kDep09N1 via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/lMy4hl10ys
— @palestinechron (@PalestineChron) July 22, 2020
Salahat warned of settler attacks against the villagers, who were forced at gunpoint to allow settler access to the natural parks.
Wadi Al-Badhan is considered one of the most beautiful natural landscapes in Palestine given its abundance of water springs, greenery, cool air, and high biodiversity.
According to the Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem (ARIJ), Jewish settlers frequently attack the village, illegally dump wastewater and discharge sewage water onto Palestinian land, thus polluting the villagers’ crops and trees.
The village of al-Badhan is named after the valley and has a population of about 4,000. Tourists and travelers often visit the village’s numerous archaeological sites, including 12 ancient watermills.
“Jewish settler violence should not be analyzed separately from the violence meted out by the Israeli army, but seen within the larger context of the violent Zionist ideology that governs Israeli society entirely,” wrote Palestinian author and editor of The Palestine Chronicle, Ramzy Baroud.
Israel's 'environmental crisis' is of its own making https://t.co/uo7qJemVXS How the colonizer ends up not only destroying those they oppress but also themselves, the land, the water and the very air for all
— Jeanne McSherry (@timeoutouttime) December 8, 2019
“Settler violence has long since become part of Palestinians’ daily life under occupation,” according to the Human Rights Group B’tselem. “Israeli security forces enable these actions, which result in Palestinian casualties – injuries and fatalities – as well as damage to land and property. In some cases, they even serve as an armed escort, or even join in the attacks”.
Between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.
(Palestine Chronicle, WAFA, Social Media)
