APN | Wadi Fukin and Al-Khader – Bethlehem

January 2024

Near the hometown of former Jordanian Senator Samir Abdel Hadi in Jerusalem, APN selected multiple orchards in the villages of Wadi Fukin and Al-Khader in Bethlehem governorate to plant 500 fruit trees, with his support.

Bethlehem and the neighboring Palestinian governorates along the Green Line harbor a bitter reality experienced by their people, marked by a systematic process of displacement that we must continuously remember and highlight. Take, for instance, the plight of Wadi Fukin village, which fell victim to occupation demolition in 1949. Its residents were forcibly displaced to nearby villages until finding refuge in the Dheisheh camp. Despite this, their steadfast connection to their land led them to return daily to tend to their orchards. After 23 years, they successfully reclaimed their village, though occupation actions had already devoured over 70% of its land for the demarcation of the Green Line and the establishment of the "Tzur Hadassah" settlement in 1956. This settlement sprawls across territories occupied in 1948, as well as 8,500 dunums of land in Wadi Fukin.

If not for the occupation, the distance separating Wadi Fukin and Al-Khader would have been no more than 5 km. However, the deliberate efforts to fragment the governorate represent a Zionist strategy aimed at exacerbating hardships for Palestinians, particularly in navigating between villages encircled by settlements. This underscores the significance of the current endeavor.

This initiative is a testament to APN's solidarity with the everyday stories of resilience exhibited by Palestinian farmers, who bravely continue their work on the land, even in the face of challenges posed by encroaching settlements.