In the early morning of October 26 2008, Occupation forces prevented farmers from the village of Kafr Qadum from reaching their farmland. The farmers were attempting to reach their land to harvest their olives, but as has been the case throughout the olive harvest, the Occupation cited âsecurity purposesâ for its actions.
***image4***As the farmers attempted to reach their olive groves, settlers from the Kedumim settlement arrived and began attacking them, in full view of the Occupation forces. The settlers cut down some forty olive trees belonging to a villager before the forces made any attempt to intervene.
Kafr Qadum has been the site of significant violence since the beginning of the olive harvest. Villagers have come under almost daily attacks, and have had their property stolen and destroyed. The villageâs olive groves, which are isolated by the Kedumim settlement, have been declared a closed military zone for the past several days, and farmers have forcibly been prevented from reaching their land. The eastern part of the village and the historic road leading to it have also been cut off by the Kedumim.
Recently, international peace activists have come to Kafr Qadum to show their solidarity and support for the farmers, but even this has not changed the situation faced by the farmers.