PALESTINE Memories of 1948 - Photographs of Jerusalem | Page 47

The guardian of the olive trees
Suleyman Hassan, 76 years old
Carrying a stick in his right hand, his white keffiyah tied
over his silver hair, he follows his flock of sheep slowly, pac-
ing through the rolling hills of south-west Nablus. Every
morning since he has been able to walk, Suleyman treads
the path that leads to the highest point in Kafr Laqif. This
Palestinian village of 1000 inhabitants is a strategic loca-
tion, being close to the main road between Nablus and Tel
Aviv, around 30 kilometres from the Mediterranean Sea
and next to the separation barrier. 1
At five o’clock in the morning his stocky figure, remi-
niscent of an olive tree, threads its way between the rocks
and chooses one to sit on. Suleyman’s blue eyes turn to his
trees at the foot of the hill, as he crumbles a handful of
the ochre earth with his work-hardened fingers. It is his
way of feeling the land, caressing it, enquiring about its
needs. Because Suleyman feels it and knows it. He knows
it because he has been plunging his hands into this earth
for the past 75 years. By doing so, he is able to predict
the quality of the oil well before the olive harvest takes
place in October. For centuries his ancestors and, in turn,
his father, have planted and nurtured these olive trees. Al
ard, the land in Arabic, to him also means his honour, his
pride, his cause. Al ard, his olive trees and his land are
fragrant with the scent of wild thyme and sage. 32,370
dunums 2 scarred by a road that was carved in 1982 by
Jewish settlers coming from Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Russia.
Foreigners who decided to settle there, without asking for
his permission but with the support of Israel, claiming it is
their supposed biblical right. Since that day, Suleyman has
seen the settlements and their white brick houses with red
roofs spread and spread, strangling his land… the better
to swallow it all up one day.
Suleyman, however, is not one to yield to threats. He
knows that, even if supported by the Israeli authorities,
any type of annexation remains illegal under interna-
tional law. Therefore, despite all the risks, this Palestinian
shepherd-farmer defends a land that he cherishes, culti-
vates and nurtures, patiently claiming what is rightfully
his, going before the police and the judges in Jerusalem.
His nonviolent struggle, his constancy and his tenacity
have earned him the respect not only of the Palestinians of
Kafr Laqif and neighbouring villages, but also of all those
who are still trying to make him give in.
 I received the letter on November 1, 2015. It
was dated October 21 and gave me 45 days to reply and
challenge the decision to confiscate four dunums of my
land. My land. 3 The land my father bought, the land
my father worked, the land that I have inherited. My
land, which is in Palestine, not in Israel.
Oh, it is not the first time they have tried to take it
away from me. An official letter would surely intimidate
most people. And I know that my 32 dunums, which
are just on the outskirts of Kafr Laqif, are important for
Suleyman
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