Bab Al-Shamas, Gate for Resistance: Palestinian Village on E1 Area

Local Editor

Hundreds of Palestinian activists set up protest tents on Friday in the E1 area near Occupied al-Quds as part of the resistance movement against "Israel's" occupation.

Said Abdullah Abu Rahma, the coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements in Bilin, revealed that Palestinian activists had set up the village of Bab al-Shams [Gate of the Sun], in protest against "Israeli" settlements.
"We will not be silent while settlements and the colonization of our land continues, and confirm that the village will endure until the rightful owners of the land are installed," Abu Rahma said.

Over 25 tents and a medical clinic have been set-up in the E1 area by protestors from all over the West Bank.

The name of the village was inspired by Lebanese author Elias Khoury's novel, which tells the story of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
"Bab al-Shams is the gate to our freedom and steadfastness. Bab al-Shams is our gate to al-Quds. Bab al-Shams is the gate to our to our return," said a statement from the group.

The group is entitled to a six day grace period before they are required to apply for a permit, according to a High Court ruling. Lawyers had been awarded an injunction earlier in the day to preempt the eviction.
""Israel" has imposed facts on the ground for decades amid the silence of the international community, and the time has come to change the rules of the game, we are owners of this land and we will impose the reality on the ground," Abu Rahma said.

The tent village consists of a Municipality office where the village council will meet, a clinic, a media office, and a kitchen.
Villagers will brave near freezing temperatures at night, but say the tents are designed to protect against the cold, and that they are equipped with thick blankets. They also plan to light a village bonfire.

In December, the Zionist entity announced plans to build some 3,000 settler homes in the E1 corridor near al-Quds, drawing widespread international condemnation.


Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org