Ta'ayush and Internationals at Um Al Kher

Ta'ayush and Internationals at Um Al Kher:

"The Bedouin village of Um Al Kher is one of the most vulnerable inside the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The villagers were originally forced from their homes in 1948 from the Dead Sea town of Arad. They are officially registered refugees with UNRWA, and have official ownership papers for their lands.

The Israeli army have demolition orders on everything in Um Al Kher, including the tents. Everything that was built after 1984. 1984 was the year the overlooking Israeli settlement of Karmel was established. Karmel is a strategic settlement, and for this reason, there is huge pressure on the villagers to leave.

Settler outposts and roads means villagers are blocked from accessing their traditional grazings lands. If they go further, they are at risk of attack from the settlement of Ma'on.

Across the road, is a huge industrial air conditioned chicken production unit. Um Al Kher has not electricity. The Israeli army has tried to discourage involvement and assistance by international groups. Recently, the IDF sent a stern letter to Oxfam, to warn them that their assistance to this village inside militarized area C was a criminal activity. The villagers are also critical of the Palestinian Authority, which it feels has forgotten them: 'we've had an immense support of words, but nothing practical.'

This short video shows a group of Israeli and international activists trying to break the construction ban, and build a road. The IDF and the police intervene to stop the action."



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