APN | South of Jerusalem

21 May 2023

 

Since 1967, the occupation has invested billions of dollars in developing infrastructure to support settlers within the occupied Palestinian territories. Among these developments are bypass roads like Highway 60, which connects Beersheba and Nazareth but come at the cost of annexing vast lands in the governorates of Hebron, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Jenin. The justification for confiscating Palestinian lands is based on categorizing them as uncultivated, exploiting an old land code that has already resulted in the annexation of one million dunums in the West Bank.

The Million Tree Campaign has made significant strides in planting trees on lands facing the threat of confiscation, collaborating closely with Palestinian farmers to instill hope through the planting of these trees. Each tree serves as a shield, safeguarding the farmers' future and their connection to the land. In a remarkable agricultural activity south of Jerusalem, along Highway 60, where security restrictions prohibit Palestinians from accessing the area, APN partnered with a farmer to plant 200 fruit trees contributed by Khalid Al-Qarout and his family.

"They cannot drive us out of our land, we remain steadfast. We inherited it from our ancestors, and we will not abandon it. The land is our life”, a heartfelt statement from the farmer as he planted the trees with APN.