Al Walajeh – Cremisan
Inger Styrbjörn, Sweden
"We survived 1948, we survived 1967 – but now, where shall we go, what shall we do?”
These desperate words came from Sheerin Alaraj, who is a member of Al Walajeh Village Council and one of the speakers at a demonstration against Israeli uprooting of trees and construction of the Wall that will encircle the Village.
I met Sheerin at the very first demonstration in Al Walajeh in July this year. About 60 people from the village were gathered and we walked peaceful through the village to see where the Israeli Army planned the building of the Wall. We looked out over the forest on the north part of the hill named Cremisan. We could see the Monastery and on the other side the illegal Israeli Settlement Har Gilo.
“Here you can see the last recreation area that belongs to Beit Jala and Bethlehem. Now they are going to destroy and uproot the forest and build a Segregation Wall”, she said. “The way through the Monastery is closed, so here is only one way out from the Village. “The last three weeks I have tried to get in connection with the Father, but it has been useless. Where are the Christians?”
Al Walajeh village was once a quiet, but busy, place. Just 4 km from Bethlehem and 8.5 km from Jerusalem, it was a prime location for a village largely dependent on farming. Its easy access to large and consistent markets led its inhabitants to relative economic prosperity. Meanwhile, its 18 km of rolling hills filled with fruit trees, natural forests, and blooming vegetation made it a haven from its close but busy neighbours.
In 1948, the village area was much larger and the houses were situated on the opposite side of the valley. In 1967, the villagers had to move from the old Al Walajeh to the present village and give place for West Jerusalem. Now Israeli authorities have demolished numerous homes, and still there are 17 houses with demolition orders on them.
The construction of the Israeli wall, plus subsequent land grabs by surrounding Jewish settlements, has decimated the villagers’ land, and their livelihood. Al Walajeh with 1,700 inhabitants now consists of just 4.5 km2 of land, or 22% of its original size. Land that was once fertile and green has disappeared beneath the concrete of three major Israeli settlements– Gilo, Har-Gilo and Giv’at Yael. The trees remaining are now under attack and a large area is already uprooted. This is a disaster for this peaceful place. Encircled by the wall, and controlled by an Israeli entry and exit terminal, the villagers of Al Walajeh will soon become virtual prisoners on their own land.
Demonstrations are held after the midday Friday prayer. At the second demonstration, the army was present with many soldiers, and what Sheerin said annoyed them. Suddenly, I saw her in lying on the ground, kicked by big soldier boots. Another time the army had closed the way to the village, but we walked around entering from another side. The participants tried to avoid the soldiers, but from an army jeep stun grenades were thrown among the people. On the first Friday in Ramadan, the Israeli military used stun grenades and teargas against the demonstrators.
It is past time for the world to react to these illegal land confiscations in occupied Palestinian territories.
