ISRAEL'S COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT IN BEIT FAJJAR THREATENS THOUSANDS OF JOBS

On March 17th Israel's occupation forces killed Ali Jamal Muhammad Taqatqa(19) and Ali Abd al-Rahman al-Kar Thawabta(20) near illegal colony of Ariel on the northern West Bank. Both of the youths were from the village of Beit Fajjar near Bethlehem.

Four days afterwards Israel's occupation forces raided and closed 35 Palestinian-run quarries around Beit Fajjar, occupation 'Civil Administration' declaring that they were "illegal", "cause damage to the environment and nature" and are on Israel's "state land".

Owners of the quarries were fined and have to pay for the confiscation of millions of dollars worth of their own equipment. According to them Israeli occupation has refused their attempts to get licences for the quarries and none has been given by the occupation to Palestinian operated quarries since 1994.

Around 3500 people work in the quarries, which produce some 25 million dollars to the local economy per year. So far the equipment has not returned.

Israel operates 11 quarries illegally in the occupied West Bank as part of its illegal colony network and closure of Palestinian quarries benefits these quarries that operate against international law and help Israel to make a profit from the occupation.

This is not the first time that Israel has used actions against the Beit Fajjar quarries as a collective punishment; they were raided by the occupation forces on November 25th, three days after a local was accused of killing an illegal Israeli settler in the illegal Gush Etzion colony bloc.

SOURCES:

2 Palestinians shot dead after stabbing near Ariel settlement
http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=770739

HRW report slams 'discriminatory' Israeli closure of Palestinian quarries
http://maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=771231

Israel: Quarry Shutdown Harms Palestinians
https://www.hrw.org/…/israel-quarry-shutdown-harms-palestin…

The future of the Palestinian town of Beit Fajar looks bleak after Israel's military shut down some three dozen quarries, endangering 3,500 jobs and paralyzing the dominant local industry
http://www.usnews.com/…/future-of-palestinian-town-bleak-af…