Season:
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2022-2023
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Governorate:
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Nablus
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Locality:
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Beita
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Address:
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Mohammad Aziz Bdeir, is a 50 years old Palestinian farmer, has seven family members and owns two dunums (0.5 acres) of property, located 500 meters away from the Israeli colony (settlement) at Jabal Sbeih. He states that "the land was the most valuable asset I inherited from my father and grandparents. It reflects Palestinian history, culture, and the Palestinian conflict". Mohammad tells the story about the Israeli soldiers and how they are constantly attacking their land, cutting and burning several trees, and once threatening to confiscate it. But they couldn't because they protested by replanting the field with olive trees and marching in peace with the entire Beita town population against land confiscation. Mohammad feels very pleased and delighted that he is still defending his property and not allowing the Israelis to steal it; he will continue to grow trees and care for the land as he does for his children. In the end, he thanks everyone who supported him and all the sponsors who gave him the trees, and he hopes that this project and support will continue for all Palestinian farmers because it gives them hope that people all over the world are aware of the Palestinian issue and care about it as much as we do. Mohammad was given 50 olive trees by the Olive Tree Campaign to help him stay in his homeland and keep hope alive.
Beita is a Palestinian town situated in the Nablus Governorate, about 9-11 kilometers south of Nablus city. In 2007, the town had a population of 8,985 people, living in 1,739 housing units. Its land area covers 17,495 dunums (4323 acres), with 89% of the land classified as Area B and 11% as Area C. The town's agricultural sector faces various challenges, including a lack of water resources, capital, and land confiscation by Israeli settlers. In early 2020, an illegal Israeli colony (settlement) attempt was made on the Jabal Orma area but was abandoned after local protests. In May 2021, Israeli settlers established a new illegal outpost called Evyatar on the top of Jabal Sbeih, resulting in protests and the death of seven Beita residents and one youth from Yatma. In June 2021, $100,000 worth of vegetables in Beita was destroyed when Israel fired tear gas at a vegetable storage unit.
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