Syrian people in the Golan challenge Israel, replant trees

Syrian people in the occupied Syrian Golan on Saturday protested against the uprooting of about 2,200 apple trees by the "Israel Land Department" in preparation for confiscating the land. Al-Quds daily reported, quoting Arab sources in the occupied Golan as saying that trees were to be planted once again in the same place.

It stated that citizen organizations in the Golan have said that uprooting the trees is a provocative step and warned the Israeli authorities against the continuation of settlement building and land confiscation in the Golan, the paper reported.

They stressed that they will spare no effort to maintain the Arab identity of the Golan, and that Syria is the decision-maker as regards the Golan, the paper reported.

On Friday, citizens of the occupied Blaqa'ata in the Golan witnessed protest against the new Israeli aggression. The demonstrators raised the Syrian flags and shouted slogans condemning the occupation's anti-Arab practices.

The "All Arabs" daily said that a number of Israeli settlers fenced in a 670 dunum area that belongs to Syrian citizens in Ein Qinyeh village.

The land owners responded by removing the Israeli fence, constructing their own fence in its place, and planting olive trees.

On Sunday, despite bad weather, the Golan citizens started at dawn the planting of thousands of apple trees to replace the trees uprooted by the Israeli authorities.

A statement of resolve, issued on behalf of the Golan citizens said: "We will not allow Israel's policy of land confiscation to be implemented under any pretext, and we will confront any aggression against our rights and lands." SANA reported.