Season:
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2022-2023
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Governorate:
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Jerusalem
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Locality:
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Biddu
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Address:
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El-Sheikh Abdel-Aziz
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Hasan Mohammad Al-Sheikh is a 66-year-old Palestinian farmer resident of Biddu, who has a family of seven. He owns 6 acres of agricultural land situated only 50 meters away from the Israeli separation wall and the settlers ' bypass road. In 2003, his land was attacked, and around 200 grape and almond trees, estimated to be 20 years old, were uprooted. According to Hasan, the planting of olive trees is a way for Palestinians to assert their ownership of the land and resist Israeli occupation. Olive trees have been destroyed by Israeli settlers and the military to confiscate and control land, and planting new olive trees is a way for Palestinians to reclaim their land and assert their rights to it. Moreover, the olive industry is one of the largest agricultural sectors in Palestine, and the production of olive oil and other olive products is a significant contributor to the Palestinian economy. For many Palestinians, olive trees are a vital source of income. Hasan expresses gratitude to the Olive Tree Campaign for providing him with 75 olive trees to keep his land safe and protected.
Biddu is a town located in the Jerusalem governorate, northwest of Jerusalem. Its population was 6,129 people in the 2007 census conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The town covers an area of about 5363 dunums (1325 acres), including 2629 dunums (650 acres) of arable land and 685 dunums (170 acres) of residential land. However, the agricultural sector in Biddu faces various challenges, including restrictions on the master plan, lack of funds, limited pastures, gate closures, and farmers being denied access to their land. Additionally, the construction of the apartheid wall has had a severe impact on the town's agriculture. According to the 1995 accords, 24.8% of Biddu's land was classified as Area B, while the remaining 75.2% was classified as Area C. Israel has confiscated approximately 627 dunams (155 acres) of Biddu's land for the Israeli colony (settlement) of Har Adar (Giv'at HaRadar) and 186 dunams (46 acres) for Giv'on Ha'hadasha.
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