A Fatah official has called on the Arabs of eastern Gush Etzion to continue their actions against the Israelis living in the area, even at the risk of losing their source of income.

Arabs in recent years have been illegally taking over lands around and within Israeli communities in the eastern part of Gush Etzion, operating with the direction of extreme left-wing organizations.

Israeli residents in these communities told TPS that they have discovered that while some Arab family members take over land illegally and carry out provocations, other family members make their living by working in the Israeli communities.

The Israeli employers have decided to take action against the phenomenon of illegal land grabs and posted ads in the vicinity of their communities calling on the Arabs not to cooperate with left-wing provocateurs, or risk losing their employment at the Israeli communities. The posters include the names and pictures of the lead activists.

The ads read: “Do you want to continue working in the Israeli communities? Do you want to provide your family with a good living by working for Jews? Those who cooperate with one of these people will not be allowed to enter our towns.”

Sheikh Dawood al-Zair, a local Arab activist who has been leading the provocations and a member of Fatah’s National Council, called on the Arabs of the region to “go to their lands adjacent to the settlements and continue with the plowing and planting.”

He explained that these actions “anger the settlers”, who have responded by trying to sow panic and fear among the people of the region by “threatening them with their livelihood.”

He further claimed that several days ago he went to plow his land near the Israeli community of Nokdim and was attacked by Israelis who tried to force him to leave. The Israeli army also intervened and asked the Arabs to stop plowing and leave the land.

“It is our obligation to defend the land, from a religious and national stance, and the land and its plowing is more important” than finding work in the Israeli communities, he said.

The Israelis have distributed the poster in Hebrew within their communities and have compiled a list of Arab families working in the communities who are also involved in anti-Israeli actions.  Each employer was left to make his own decision.