Over the last few years, local Arabs invaded the “blue line” of Adora – in other words, the municipal boundaries – to prevent the community from growing. The goal is to disconnect Adora from the adjacent Telem, and connect instead between Hebron (predominantly Arab) and the town of Tarqumiyah, thus establishing Palestinian territorial contiguity.

 

By planting dozens of trees illegally, the Arabs have taken advantage of a loophole in Ottoman law that allows for property rights after a certain period of working the land.

 

In the past, agricultural invasions near Adora were curtailed by the authorities. However, recently, local Arabs have stepped up their efforts. Despite the repeated alerts of Adora’s residents, and despite the authorities’ promises to tackle the problem, the agricultural invasion has continued.

 

After residents contacted Regavim, they decided to intervene. They approached the Minister of Defense and the Civil Administration to demand that the illegal agricultural projects be uprooted and for the lands to be restored and returned to their rightful owners. If no immediate action is taken, the prospects of future growth and development of Adora will be severely damaged.

 

The future of Adora lies in the hands of the Civil Administration! If the CA views itself as responsible for law enforcement in the region, this agricultural land grab must be dealt with today!