Palestinian farmers living in the occupied Jordan Valley have expressed worries about the Israeli annexation plan.
The farmers stated that they are worried about what the future holds with the proposed annexation scheduled to begin July 1, 2020.
According to the farmers, the annexation will prevent them from accessing their land, and they will be cut off from the rest of the West Bank, destroying their export business and only source of income.
The Jordan Valley is known as the epicentre of Palestinian agricultural activities.
“If annexation goes ahead, it will be a disaster for us farmers in the Jordan Valley,” 52-year-old Muneer Nasasri from the village of Jiffly, said.
“We’re tired of the issue of annexation. We’re very scared of what the future could hold. We’re all scared and expecting something to happen on July 1 or July 10 or July 15. What could happen?” he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to begin the annexation of illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, including parts of the strategic Jordan Valley, from July 1, fulfilling an election campaign pledge.
The plan to annex as much as one-third of the occupied West Bank was given impetus by US President Donald Trump’s unveiling in late January of his so-called “Middle East plan” as Netanyahu stood by his side.
Israeli military and intelligence officials have, however, warned against the move as it poses a security risk since it could spark an uprising in the West Bank.
