Bethlehem/ PNN/ Report By Najeeb Faraj-
Fatima Brijieh, the head of the Municipal Council for the villages in southern Beit Lahm, raised a red flag before the Minister of Local Government, Majdi al-Saleh, and the director of local government in the Bethlehem Governorate, Arwa Abu al-Hijaa. The purpose was to draw attention to the urgent need for focus on the nine villages under her responsibility, qualifying them to be worthy of their 20,000 inhabitants and to confront the settlement plans targeting their vast lands and hills.
Neglected and Isolated: Plight of Nine Palestinian Villages in Bethlehem Exposes Settler Threats and Government Inactio
Brijieh, who also presides over the council of the Ma'sarah village, stated that the nine villages, including Ma'sarah, are Mraha Ma'alla, Wadi Rahal, Jorat al-Sham'a, Wadi al-Nis, Um Salamona, al-Manshiya, Khallet al-Haddad, and Mraha Rabah. While they are adjacent and interconnected, unfortunately, there are no modern roads connecting them. The existing roads are mere dirt tracks, unfit even for animals to walk on. The lack of adequate roads facilitates the exploitation of these areas by settlers and Zionist organizations that support settlements, providing them with all the resources and capabilities to transform their land-grabbing activities into well-established settlements, unlike the ancient villages that have existed for centuries.
Brijieh stated that accepting this deterioration and neglect defies any logic. These villages are marginalized to the point where the word "marginalized" hardly captures the extent of their suffering. Moreover, this neglect extends to all sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, and other essential services. For instance, while each village possesses a health clinic, these clinics operate only one day a week, which falls significantly short of meeting the citizens' needs. These clinics are established with extremely limited resources, and the term "clinic" is a misnomer, as they cannot adequately serve the citizens. The situation is similar for sports facilities for the youth, with services being practically nonexistent. This lack of support applies to the needs of children's sports and farmers, who desperately require all forms of support but are entirely left behind. Meanwhile, settlements on our lands, such as Avraham and Gush Etzion, enjoy an abundance of educational and recreational services, modern road networks connecting them, and sports facilities encompassing football, basketball, handball, tennis, and swimming pools.
The Local Community
Brijieh expressed that the local community in the nine villages accepts, in a seamless and comfortable manner, a woman occupying such a position. In fact, she may be the only woman holding such a position in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. However, despite the favorable reception, she faces failure due to this neglect. Consequently, she called on the Minister of Local Government to realize that the success of proving their existence lies in providing all necessary projects required by the citizens in these villages. She has previously met him in Ramallah and presented all these concerns, urging him to visit the sites. These approximately 20,000 dunams (around 20 square kilometers) belonging to these villages are all at risk of being claimed by settlers, and it is essential for him to witness this firsthand. She also stressed that similar requests were made to the director of local government in Bethlehem, but until now, there has been no action on their responsibilities. Thus, she concludes that although she holds the title of council president on paper, the reality on the ground contradicts it entirely.
An Appeal for Help and Reminders
Brijieh emphasized that the nine villages, which form the complete food basket of the Bethlehem Governorate, are cut off from the city due to the absence of road construction projects that suit their significance. By constructing modern and interconnected road networks, these villages can become vibrant, influential, and crucial areas. Therefore, she calls upon President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh to direct the concerned authorities to pay attention to these villages and enable them to confront all settlement and annexation projects threatening their existence.
The Resistance and Settlement Commission previously warned in its report about the plans of the settlers for these villages. The report states that the occupation and settlers' targeting of these areas aim to displace their original inhabitants and allow illegal and unlawful settler presence in these regions. The report also highlights how the Israeli Civil Administration ignores all international positions rejecting settlement expansion and the confiscation of Palestinian lands and properties, consistently imposing new facts on the ground.
The settlers and the occupation are focusing on the "Khalat al-Nahla" area, belonging to the village of Wadi Rahal, to establish the "Giv'at Eitam" settlement and connect it to the "Tekoa" settlement. This move aims to isolate Bethlehem city from its southern countryside and southern occupied West Bank.
