Palestine: Dairy Farm Demolished

Facebook
Twitter
Email
WhatsApp
Print

 

Palestine - Demolished FarmOn May Day, 1 May, at 7:45 a.m., CPTers received a call from Noah al-Rajabi in the Palestinian town of Bani Naim (Hebron District).  Al-Rajabi reported that the army and bulldozers were demolishing his cousin’s home and threatening to demolish the family’s farm.  He urged CPT to come and to call the media and other internationals to bear witness to what was happening.  

Two CPTers arrived and saw six military jeeps, three police vehicles, and three intelligence service vehicles at the main road near al-Rajabi’s house.  Initially, Israeli authorities prevented CPTers from approaching the scene.  When CPTers asked why they were demolishing the farm, a soldier replied, “Because we are the army.” 

The CPTers could see a Caterpillar and a Hyundai bulldozer destroying a farm building and a mobile home in which the family lived.

The children of the family came and took CPTers through the fields to get a closer view of the destruction.  The two bulldozers had started to raze a large corrugated iron barn where the family kept their cows; in the process they destroyed milking machines and other equipment worth over US$8,000.

The farmer told CPTers, “Destroying my home…I can rebuild, and while I am rebuilding I can stay with another family member.  But destroying my farm!  That not only destroys my livelihood but also the livelihoods of three other families.  Our farm is our bread and butter.”

Looking over at his 100 cows sitting in the oppressive heat, he said that if they were not milked soon, they would die.

In Israel on May Day, all governmental offices are closed.  The Israeli military evidently was not observing this national holiday when it destroyed the livelihoods of these four families.

Subscribe to the Friday Bulletin

Get Hannah’s thoughts and the entire bulletin every Friday in your inbox, and don’t miss out on news from the teams, a list of what we’re reading and information on ways to take action.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Read More Stories

A group of people a protest holding crosses and a banner that reads CPT

Peace teams

‘I will not kill, but I will prevent others from killing.’

a group of women walk in a line in a field

On-the-ground experiment in nonviolence

The work of international solidarity peacemaking is sometimes inaccessible. How does one contribute to the discourse and action for nonviolent change in a country that

Skip to content