A portrait of the settlers
Haaretz reports what is happening to Palestinians tending their olive groves near to Nablus. They are frequently intimidated and beaten up. They are only able to work because horrified Israelis have rallied to their defence. They too are intimidated by settlers. The police have made no arrests.
"For several months now, ever since persons unknown damaged the olive groves of the farmers of Salem near Nablus, Israelis have been coming to help the farmers. According to Gideon Alon one of the regulars, 'It doesn't matter how many come. If you don't come, the Palestinians are afraid to come out. This is terror on the part of Jewish settlers, and there is no sovereign in the territory. The farmers are not able to realize their property rights.' "
The Palestinian News Network catalogues environmental damage being inflicted on the land.
The withdrawal of funding to the Palestinian Authority is having a devastating effect particularly on Gaza. Russia has broken ranks and offered to help pay wages of key workers. An Observer report describes the situation.
"Karni (the crossing point between Gaza and Israel) is officially closed because the Israeli army has declared a security alert for the Jewish Passover holiday. Yet it has barely been open this year. The effect is a paralysis of Gaza's commerce and severe shortages of basic foods. Not that the locals are in a position to buy what food there is. There is little money because the European Union, Canada and the United States have stopped funding the aid-dependent Palestinian Authority, which can no longer pay its staff's wages."
Posted by John Tyrrell at April 17, 2006 09:41 AM
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