Uprooting Trees and Lives

Uprooting Trees and Lives | Common Dreams
The latest lofty move by the Middle East's self-professed only democracy: Israel has ordered Palestinian farmers in Deir Istiya, a major West Bank olive producing village, to uproot at least 1,400 trees they have tended for generations
"These are trees that were planted in a nature reserve without coordination with the official for the area, as is required by law," the body said in a statement to AFP."The owners have the opportunity to present their objections and arguments to officials from the civil administration," it added.
The trees in question are in the Nahal Kana reserve, an area west of the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, which Haaretz said includes large tracts of privately owned Palestinian land.Farmers there told the newspaper that the order violates their rights to the land, and said they would challenge it in court.
Haaretz said the Civil Administration uprooted hundreds of Palestinian trees in the same nature reserve last year.
 Petition to halt the largest of years of such actions, currently at a stand-off thanks to protests by residents and activists.