Sunday, April 22, 2012

When Things Aren't So Bad for An Arab Village

Well, maybe Israel isn't as hard-hearted as too many wish to portray it (k/t=BLS):-

The pastoral village, dotted by wells and water reservoirs, stands above Refaim Stream and the railway track to Jerusalem, and is a unique case in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Its inhabitants were the only Palestinians allowed to continue to cultivate their lands inside Israel's border after the 1948 war. The reason for this anomaly, which was mentioned in the 1949 Armistice Agreements, was an oral agreement between village leaders and Moshe Dayan: The villagers were allowed to cultivate their lands in return for preventing damage to the railway track or the trains. Batir's inhabitants continued to cultivate their lands on both sides of the border until 1967 - and afterward.
Yes, Batir or, the fortress town of the commander of the Jewish revolt against Rome, 132-135 CE, Bar Kochba - Betar. A village that was "hostile" and its inhabitants participated in the Arab terror campaign before (and after) there was an "occupation" or prior to a "settlement" being contructed in Judea and Samaria:


July 5, 1965 - A Fatah cell planted explosives on the railroad tracks to Jerusalem near Kfar Battir.

and

The railroad suffered numerous terrorist attacks during the 1960s prior to the Six-Day War, especially due to its proximity to the Green Line and the Arab village Battir. On October 27, 1966, one person was injured from a bomb that was placed along the route.

Co-existence is an attainable goal.

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