amnesty.uk.org

TripAdvisor listing of settler-managed historical sight on Palestinian land

The image above is a TripAdvisor listing of a heritage site managed by settlers in the village of Susiya – on Palestinian land. The UN has released a list of over 100 other companies that also have business interests in Israeli settlements built on Palestinian land.

But why is this a problem?

Illegal Settlements

In 1967, Israel began the process of building settlements on occupied Palestinian territory.

Firstly, what is a settlement?

It is Israel’s building of villages, towns and cities on occupied Palestinian territory.

What makes them illegal?

The transfer of Israeli civilians to these settlements is illegal under international law. In fact it is a war crime according to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Hundreds of thousands Displaced

Since 1948, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had to flee their homes to escape violence or were forcibly removed. Not just their they lost their land and businesses too. Many are remain in refugee camps till this day. Here they have become parents and even grand parents.

Suffocating laws

Some Palestinians stayed behind and refused to give up their land. Their lives have been made impossible as consecutive governments have introduced discriminatory laws and policies, in the hope they will eventually leave. But as the settlements continue to expand some are still standing their ground.

What TripAdvisor doesn’t show you

(A resident of Susiya shows us a water system installed on his land for the sole benefite of the nearby settlement)

The Palestinian village of Susiya, in the occupied West Bank is home to around 300 Palestinians. The village has a few tents and shacks, a couple of water cisterns and some sheep. There is no access to electricity or running water.

Tiếp tục đọc “UN exposes companies involved in Israeli settlements” →