- Title: WEST BANK: Palestinian construction workers carry on building Jewish settlements
- Date: 25th September 2009
- Summary: SOUTH OF BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK (SEPTEMBER 23, 2009) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF BEITAR ILLIT SETTLEMENT CONSTRUCTION IN SETTLEMENT VIEW OF ELAZAR SETTLEMENT PALESTINIAN CONTRACTOR ABU SAEED WITH SETTLEMENT OF ELAZAR AND BEITAR ILLIT IN THE BACKGROUND (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN CONTRACTOR ABU SAED WHO IS BUILDING ELAZAR SETTLEMENT, SAYING: "Of course he will have a different view regarding the conflict, because when he comes and sees on the ground it's not like when he hears it from someone. These settlements are from the goods of the Palestinian people, these settlements prevent the formation of a Palestinian state, these settlements are hurdle in the way of peace. There will never be peace while these settlements exist." SHADOW AND LEGS OF ANOTHER PALESTINIAN CONTRACTOR WHO WORKS ON WEST BANK SETTLEMENTS WHO DOES NOT WANT TO BE IDENTIFIED VIEW OF HAND OF CONTRACTOR AS HE EXPLAINS ABOUT SETTLEMENTS UNIDENTIFIED CONTRACTOR EXPLAINING TO JOURNALIST ABOUT SETTLEMENTS WHICH HE BUILDS ON OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN WEST BANK LAND (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED PALESTINIAN CONTRACTOR WHO WORKS ON WEST BANK SETTLEMENTS SAYING: "These are false dreams, when the Jews leave. The Jews will never leave. what was taken by force will only be won back by force." SHADOW OF CONTRACTOR WHO DOES NOT WANT TO BE IDENTIFIED MORE OF BEITAR ILLIT SETTLEMENT CONSTRUCTION UNDER WAY VARIOUS OF UNITS BEING BUILT BEITAR ILLIT SETTLEMENT, WEST BANK (SEPTEMBER 23, 2009) (REUTERS) FENCE SHOWING BULLDOZER AT WORK - PALESTINIAN VILLAGE IN THE BACKGROUND MORE OF BULLDOZER SIX PALESTINIAN CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WHO ARE BUILDING NEW HOUSING UNITS IN THE WEST BANK SETTLEMENT OF BEITAR ILLIT SITTING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED PALESTINIAN CONSTRUCTION WORKER ON BEITAR ILLIT SETTLEMENT SAYING: "Israel will never give up on settlements, never." (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ANOTHER UNIDENTIFIED PALESTINIAN CONSTRUCTION WORKER ON BEITAR ILLIT SETTLEMENT SAYING: "Yesterday we had this summit about freezing settlements and here we are today back at work as usual, it's an empty talk." CLOSE OF PALESTINIAN CONSTRUCTION WORKER (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED PALESTINIAN CONSTRUCTION WORKER ON BEITAR ILLIT SETTLEMENT SAYING: "We do the work flawlessly, 100 percent, we build it right. Maybe in the coming years they will move out of here and everything will be ready for us. We will live in their place, the work is good so it's a sure thing." SOUTH OF BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK VARIOUS OF VIEWS OF SETTLEMENT OF BEITAR ILLIT
- Embargoed: 10th October 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Industry
- Reuters ID: LVAE5DJ8USO29BQO32OYJZL4SLPI
- Story Text: Palestinians workers who are constructing the Jewish settlements on occupied Palestinian land carry on building in the midst of a debate over freezing and restraining such activities.
From up here in the hills beyond Jerusalem, President Barrack Obama might get a different view of Israeli settlements frustrating his ambitious drive to resolve the 60-year-old Middle East conflict.
Whether their construction is "frozen" or just "restrained" seems too fine a point for Palestinians to whom the fenced-off, red-roofed towns all over the West Bank are immovable facts on the ground that have been part of their lives for years.
Even if peace were agreed, they know, Israel would hold onto its biggest West Bank settlements in a land-swap with a new Palestinian state.
Building work continues as usual on the breezy slopes, regardless of Tuesday's (September 22) damp squib summit in New York where Obama failed to persuade Israel to stop building so stalled peace talks might resume.
"Of course he (Obama) will have a different view regarding the conflict, because when he comes and sees on the ground it's not like when he hears it from someone," said Abu Saeed, a contractor who undertakes work in the settlement of Elazar, near Bethlehem.
"These settlements prevent the formation of a Palestinian state, these settlements are hurdle in the way of peace. There will never be peace while these settlements exist," Abu Saeed added.
From the rocky edge of the Palestinian village of Wadi Nis (Porcupine Valley) he points to five Israeli settlements on the nearby ridges and hilltops south of Jerusalem, towns that would be either have to handed over to a new Palestinian state or bought in land swaps elsewhere on the borderline.
Another Palestinian contractor who builds Jewish settlements says the towns are there to stay.
"These are false dreams, when the Jews leave. The Jews will never leave. What was taken by force will only be won back by force," the man, who wished not to be identified, said.
But despite the outrage, many of the workers are Palestinians, men who say they long for an end to Israeli occupation and a state of their own, but also need to earn a livelihood and refuse to let their families go hungry when there are jobs to be had, even from Israelis.
Palestinian workers at Beitar Illit, one of the newer settlements south of Jerusalem where orthodox Jewish families of modest means occupy flats in 6-storey blocks made presentable by honey-coloured facades of cut Jerusalem stone, say diplomatic talk leads nowhere.
"Israel will never give up on settlements, never," said the ganger of a six-man Palestinian squad building sidewalks for the community. "Yesterday we had this summit about freezing settlements and here we are today back at work as usual, it's an empty talk."
The Jews will never leave the settlements, said a co-worker. "These are false dreams, when the Jews leave. The Jews will never leave. What was taken by force will only be won back by force."
The men do not give their names but do not object to talking on camera. They come from Hebron, a town proud to be considered a stronghold of Palestinian nationalism, where never the less, they say, neighbours show understanding for the choice they made.
Like Abu Saeb, whose says his business earns enough to support his extended family, labourers say they earn their wages from building what may in the future be theirs.
"We do the work flawlessly, 100 percent, we build it right," one winked as they sat on the roadside eating a simple meagre lunch off a scrap of discarded carton. "Maybe in the coming years they will move out of here and everything will be ready for us. We will live in their place, the work is good so it's a sure thing."
Settlement began after Israel seized the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war, and advanced rapidly in the 1980s. About 300,000 Israelis inhabit 100 settlements, in plush villas with leafy gardens and spartan apartments still smelling of concrete.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas insists he will not resume peace talks with Israel which broke off late last year until the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agrees to freeze all settlement activity. Netanyahu has offered no more than a 9-month suspension. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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