- Title: WEST BANK: Palestinians hold weekly protests against closure of main village road
- Date: 18th February 2014
- Summary: QEDUMIM SETTLEMENT, WEST BANK (RECENT) (REUTERS) KUFR QADDOUM LANDS AS SEEN FROM THE ADJACENT SETTLEMENT VARIOUS OF KUFR QADDOUM ROAD THAT IS CLOSED BY THE ISRAELI ARMY METAL GATE THAT USED TO CLOSE THE ROAD CLOSE OF YELLOW GATE THAT SEPARATES VILLAGE FROM ITS AGRICULTURAL LANDS KUFR QADDOUM, WEST BANK (RECENT) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PROTEST ORGANISER AT KUFR QADDOUM, MURAD SHTAWI, SAYING: "The residents of Kufr Qaddoum have done a lot using popular resistance and in the context of pressuring the Israeli occupation and forcing them to open the only road that leads to the village of Kufr Qaddoum. Our goal now has surpassed simply opening the road, we are protecting our lands that lie on either side of the road. We know that in the end, the occupation army will open the road under pressure from the popular resistance and efforts exerted by the Palestinian leadership. But we will continue in our popular resistance to protect the lands that lie beside the road that are threatened with confiscation for the sake of expanding the settlement of Qedumim." WEEKLY FRIDAY PROTEST THATIN CLASHES BETWEEN ISRAELI ARMY AND PALESTINIAN YOUTHS THROWING STONES PALESTINIANS HURLING STONES ISRAELI ARMY ARMY FIRING STUN GRENADES (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEAD OF KUFR QADDOUM VILLAGE COUNCIL, SAMIR KADOUMI, SAYING: "Three patients died on the gate because the Israelis refused to open the road. They had to take a longer alternative road, and they could not reach the nearest hospital in time. Because for human life, every minute makes a difference for the patient, from an economic, treatment perspective. The residents of Kufr Qaddoum have the right to their road." SIGN READING (Arabic and English) "QEDUMIM" QEDUMIM SETTLEMENT, WEST BANK (RECENT) (REUTERS) ROAD BETWEEN THE VILLAGE AND SETTLEMENT QEDUMIM SETTLEMENT VARIOUS OF SETTLERS IN THE SETTLEMENT MAYOR OF QEDUMIM SETTLEMENT HANANEL DORANI AT OFFICE DORANI'S HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (Hebrew) MAYOR OF QEDUMIM SETTLEMENT, HANANEL DORANI, SAYING: "The issue of the road is completely a security issue. In 2002 when the second Intifada erupted, the army decided to close the road and has not opened it since, and that is completely justified. We too do not want the road opened. Security issues are burning issues, they are not simple. There are clashes and that's why we prefer that the road remain closed. It's a security decision, it always was." VARIOUS OF SETTLEMENT
- Embargoed: 5th March 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: West bank
- City:
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAAAPGQJU4X9QSZT60ZDHCPGMWA
- Story Text: For the past 12 years, the main road connecting the occupied West Bank village of Kufr Qaddoum to the city of Nablus has been closed by the Israeli army, drawing the villagers to hold weekly demonstrations in protest.
Citing the need to protect the nearby Jewish settlement of Qedumim, home to some 4,500 settlers, the army set up a metal gate preventing Palestinians from driving or walking on the road, forcing them to take a longer detour to get to Nablus, their main centre.
Residents also say that the Israeli army restricts access to their agricultural fields, mostly olive groves, located on both sides of the road. They say they are required to obtain prior permission from the army in order to work or enter their lands.
Since July 2011, residents of the village, with the help of international and Israeli peace activists, have been holding weekly demonstrations demanding that the road be open.
Murad Shtawi, resident and organiser of the weekly protests says that their peaceful demonstrations have succeeded in putting some pressure on Israel.
"The residents of Kufr Qaddoum have done a lot using popular resistance and in the context of pressuring the Israeli occupation and forcing them to open the only road that leads to the village of Kufr Qaddoum. Our goal now has surpassed simply opening the road, we are protecting our lands that lie on either side of the road," he said.
"We know that in the end, the occupation army will open the road under pressure from the popular resistance and efforts exerted by the Palestinian leadership. But we will continue in our popular resistance to protect the lands that lie beside the road that are threatened with confiscation for the sake of expanding the settlement of Qedumim," Shtawi said.
The protests, however, often turn into violent clashes between Palestinian stone-throwing youths and Israeli soldiers firing tear gas canisters, stun grenades, and sometimes live bullets.
In January, an 85-year old Palestinian man, Saeed Jaser Ali died after inhaling tear gas that was fired by the Israeli army and landed in his home.
The Israeli army says closing the road is vital to the security of the nearby settlement, and that they have offered residents an alternative road to Nablus, which representatives of the village have rejected.
"Due to vital security concerns, a road entering Kufr Qaddoum was closed, and a shorter and more accessible route was offered to the local residents. This offer, however, was rejected, with the residents choosing instead to resort to extremely violent and dangerous protests, including the hurling of rocks and molotov cocktails, that gravely threaten both Israeli civilians and security personnel," the army said in an emailed statement sent to Reuters.
This sentiment was echoed by the mayor of Qedumim settlement. Hananel Dorani denied that they build their homes on private Palestinian land and said closing the road is necessary.
"The issue of the road is completely a security issue. In 2002 when the second Intifada erupted, the army decided to close the road and has not opened it since, and that is completely justified. We too do not want the road opened. Security issues are burning issues, they are not simple. There are clashes and that's why we prefer that the road remain closed. It's a security decision, it always was," Dorani said.
Kufr Qaddoum is home to some 3,300 residents who say the closure of their main road has had a deep impact on their lives and their livelihoods, and the detour road they have to take is 14 kilometres longer. They also say the Israeli army refuses to open the main road, even in emergency situations.
"Three patients died on the gate because the Israelis refused to open the road. They had to take a longer alternative road, and they could not reach the nearest hospital in time. Because for human life, every minute makes a difference for the patient, from an economic, treatment perspective. The residents of Kufr Qaddoum have the right to their road," head of the village council, Samir Kadoumi said.
Israel has been occupying the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip - territory Palestinians want for their future independent state since 1967.
Israelis and Palestinians, under the auspices of the United States, have been holding peace talks meant to resolve the decades-old conflict and establish a Palestinian state, but very little progress has been made so far. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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