IDF, police stop Tu B’Shvat coexistence olive-tree planting in beleaguered Palestinian hamlet

The IDF and police stop a tree-planting event in the Palestinian hamlet of Umm al-Khair in the West Bank after coexistence activists arrive to plant the olive trees, and issue a closed military zone order, which enables the security forces to remove the activists from the site.

A masked IDF officer who declares the imposition of the order refuses to say why it was issued, and the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit has yet to respond.

Residents of Umm al-Khair allege that settlers living in illegally constructed homes established just meters from the hamlet called the army in order to stop the planting activity. Settlement municipal authorities have confirmed in the past that outpost residents call the security services to stop joint Jewish-Arab activities.

The tree-planting activity was organized by the Rabbis for Human Rights organization to plant 300 olive trees on agricultural land of Umm al-Khair today, the Jewish holiday of Tu B’Shvat, which celebrates the new year for trees and is often marked by tree-planting ceremonies.

“The thing that most frightens this government is what we do here together on the land, Jews and Arabs,” says Eid Hathaleen, an artist living in Umm al-Khair who has in the past exhibited with renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.

“Do you see how many forces came to separate us, to separate people who thirst for peace. They don’t want our cooperation and relations to continue normally. That’s what the government is doing. It’s more dangerous for them than anything.”

Demolition orders were issued against Umm al-Khair in October last year for being built without permits, although residents say the hamlet has existed since 1948. The orders were supposed to be implemented in November last year but have not yet been carried out. Hathaleen attributes this to a direct appeal by over 100 US congressmen to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt the demolitions.