http://www.palestinemonitor.org
June 28, 2011

300 Trees uprooted in Salfit village by IOF

Today, 28 June, the Israeli Occupation Forces uprooted 300 olive trees in the Palestinian village of Deir Estia in the Salfit district of the West Bank. MP Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative, said that the destruction of lands and uprooting hundreds of olive trees in Deir Estia are heinous crimes against the land and its citizens.

Barghouthi said that bulldozing 300 olive trees is part of the Israeli government’s intention to expand settlements in the West Bank. Noting that the olive trees are a vital source of livelihood for families in the West Bank, Barghouti condemned the crimes and calls for the resilience of the people against the devastating occupation of the Palestinian land.

Barghouthi added that the crimes committed by the Netanyahu administration against the Palestinian people and the land cannot be tolerated, ”It is time to stop such attacks and to confront the international community’s complicity, which has allowed Israeli crimes to continue with impunity.”

Observing that the Netanyahu administration appears to be “racing against time” to impose facts on the ground, Barghouti asserted that Israel’s apartheid system has exceeded that which was in place in South Africa.

Barghouti praised the villagers of Deir Estia for their steadfast resistance, “The people must confront the occupation and its projects through the an escalation of popular resistance.”

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