On Friday morning SFP activists from Nablus, Burin, Madama and Asira al Qibliya, joined by friends from Tulkarem, planted olive trees on Burin land near the illegal settlement of Yitzhar. With the Israeli Army looking on the activists successfully planted olive trees in honour and solidarity with sick Palestinian prisoners.
Burin village, just south of Nablus, is surrounded by the illegal settlements of Bracha and Yitzhar, built on stolen village lands. The illegal settlements housed some of the most extreme and violent settlers. In the last year alone the village has lost 1423 olive trees and 420 almond trees from attacks by the criminal settlers. The village also regularly suffers Israeli Army terrorism, with the village invaded on a daily basis and youth from the village kidnapped. There are currently 10 young men from the village being held in Israeli Apartheid prisons.
The activists planted trees in solidarity with sick Palestinian prisoners. It is estimated by the Ministry of Prisoner Affairs that there are currently more than 1000 sick prisoners, 177 considered to have serious conditions and 20 with mental illnesses. The Apartheid Israeli prisoner authorities policy is to ignore medical illnesses and the bad conditions both create and excerbate medical problems which go years without treatment. In 2013 three Palestinian prisoners died as a direct result of medical neglect at the hands of the Apartheid Israeli authorities.
SFP will continue to support prisoners and villagers until freedom. Tomorrow, Saturday 8 February, SFP will be joining villagers in Madama to plant more olive trees. Please consider donating to our campaign and help us help more villages. For details of how to donate please click here.
solidarity movement for free Palestine 