APN | Furush Beit Dajan – Nablus

 

Located in the eastern region of Nablus Governorate, in proximity to the central Palestinian Jordan Valley, lies the town of Furush Beit Dajan. It’s a place where residents of the Jordanian city of As-Salt can catch a glimpse of their extended family members. In this area, APN has been actively involved in agricultural initiatives within a region in Area C as classified under the Oslo Accords. The occupation has specifically targeted agricultural activities in this village with the aim of undermining its infrastructure. Why is that?

Efforts by the occupation to displace the residents of Furush Beit Dajan have shown no signs of abating. These efforts encompass a range of actions, including attacks by settlers on the village's residents and deliberate targeting of its agricultural infrastructure. These actions involve land seizures, the deliberate destruction of water tanks, excessive groundwater extraction, and other similar tactics. The systematic settlement activities in the village commenced following the occupation of the area in 1967. Notably, the establishment of the Hamra settlement took place in 1971, followed by Mekhora settlement in 1976. It's worth highlighting that these two settlements fall under the jurisdiction of the "Bik'at HaYarden" Regional Settlement Council, which oversees 21 settlements and several outposts in the Jordan Valley. Agriculture remains the central focus of this council's activities.

But that's not the end of it. The village finds itself enclosed by Itamar and Alon Moreh settlements, along with eight other settlement outposts and an Israeli military base. This effectively isolates nearly 10,000 dunums of its land. Furthermore, the presence of the "Koki" outpost, set up by a settler and his cattle on the village's borders, represents a serious threat as it isolates a staggering 25,000 dunums, which includes 500 dunams belonging to Furush Beit Dajan.

The villagers consider planting trees to be the foundation of their resistance. Therefore, APN supported their efforts by planting 4,500 olive trees in collaboration with the Beit Dajan Cooperative Society for Agricultural Development.