Tulkarm Farm Family

Fayez and Mouna Taneeb are farmers in the Tulkarm area.  As is common among farm families, their farmland has belonged to the family for many generations.  Fayez says he learned how to farm from his father and his father learned from his father, etc.  They have 4 sons and 1 daughter.  On the day we visited their farm Mouna was not able to be there due to the death of her mother who lived in Nablus. Fayez graciously showed us around the farm and explained the challenges they face.

Fayez showing Johanna & Vidar his land

Israeli Factory Abuts Fayez's Land

Their farm is bisected by the separation barrier on one side and an Israeli factory on the other side.  The factory is illegally built on Palestinian land and was moved to Palestine by Israel a few years ago.  It is one of eleven Israeli factories moved from Israel and rebuilt to operate illegally on Palestinian land.  There are many alarming considerations about how it is impacting people and the environment but that is another topic by itself. 

“Near the city of Tulkarm itself are 10 Israeli factories. These factories were forbidden to operate in Israel because of the environmental and health problem that they caused the Israeli population. Consequently they were moved to Occupied Palestine from about 1984 onwards. Israeli authorities, despite being responsible for moving them there originally, have claimed that they can’t do anything again with them as they are no longer in Israeli territory. Israeli soldiers however are still provided to offer the factories protection and nothing has been done against them, even with Israelis undertaking complaints from Israeli villages on the opposing side of the wall.

The wind usually passes from West to East, so the pollution, the gas, the dust and the smoke expelled from the factories all goes in the direction of Palestine and essentially passes over to Tulkarm. The factories further contaminate both the water and land as they continue to pump out noxious substances, however despite them being Israeli owned factories, Israel chooses when and how they implement their influence in the Occupied Territories, as such they wash their hands of it and claim it is for the Palestinians to deal with. Samples of both water and soil have been taken but the Israeli courts do nothing against it.

The pollution has a direct impact on the local community. Asthma is present and rising at an alarming rate in the children of Tulkarm and the incidence of cancer is the highest in the whole of the occupied territories.”  Tulkarm Struggles Against the Wall, Settlements and Israeli Chemical Factories 8/17/2007          http://palsolidarity.org/2007/08/2579/

As I’ve discovered when writing about certain topics that one thing often leads to another.  However….back to our visit at the farm.

Fayez has been very active in the Committee against the Wall and Settlements.  Their organization holds meetings once a month and arranges non-violent demonstrations and other activities.  The events of the last few years have been troublesome and emotionally draining for Fayez and his family.  He showed us a brick of his shed by a greenhouse with a bullethole in the middle. 

He said:  “In 2001 there was a shot from a gun of an Israeli soldier aimed for me but he missed.”  Now his farmland is surrounded by constant reminders of how the Palestinian farmers are being pushed out of their own land.  One might say he is very fortunate in that he is able to access his land without going through an agriculture checkpoint.  That means he lives within the wall and his farm is located within the wall.  However, in walking around his land I really felt “closed in.”  On one side is a huge factory with a wall by his farmland.  On the other side is the 30 foot concrete separation barrier that divides Palestine from Israel.  A major Israeli North-South 4 lane highway is directly on the other side of the barrier. (Actually, we saw Tulkarm barrier from the highway when we went on our trip to Israel.  But the barrier does not even look like a barrier from the Israeli side because they have put dirt up to within a few feet of the top so it looks like a 4-5 foot wall.  The Israeli population mostly sees a nice grassy slope.  I was not able to get a picture of it as I was on the wrong side of the bus when we passed it.)

Fayez' Beans (Greenhouse plastic used in winter)

Visiting Fayez on his farm was delightful.  He showed us everything growing in the  greenhouses plus all  the outside produce.  We had tea sitting in the warm sun and talked about his life and how much he loves the everyday work of being a farmer. 

He remembers a time when he and an Israeli neighbor were the best of friends.  He said they would share farming ideas and information with one another.  Then the separation barrier was erected and this put an end to their ability to relate to each other.   When asked what he thought about the future he said:  “I fear for my children…..it is very difficult when we don’t know what will happen from day to day.” 

Pockets Full of Green Peppers -- Gifts from Fayez

Before we returned to our flat,  he made sure we had an ample supply of cucumbers and peppers for our evening meal.  As my time here is drawing to a close, I must say that I will miss conversations with wonderful people like Fayez.  Their hospitality and generosity has been wonderful.

Susanne