As the hills of the occupied West Bank cascade into the Jordan Valley, the Palestinian village of Bardala finds itself under siege. Heavy Israeli machinery has begun reshaping the rocky terrain, and eviction notices served by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) threaten the livelihoods of the village’s residents.
Khalid Sawafta, a 60-year-old farmer, stands amidst the turmoil with tears in his eyes, clutching a notice demanding he vacate his land by December 4. “They came and demolished everything seven years ago,” he says. “Now, they want to do it again, leaving me with nothing.”
Growing Wave of Evictions
Bardala’s plight is emblematic of a broader wave of evictions sweeping the West Bank. According to Peace Now, an activist group, 227 Palestinian families have been evicted in the past year alone. Meanwhile, the Israeli government has authorized over 8,600 new housing units for settlers in the region, fueling tensions between Palestinians and Israeli settlers.
Ibrahim Sawafta, Bardala’s local council leader, accused Israeli authorities of systematically displacing Palestinians. “The goal is to displace the residents from this region,” he said, displaying century-old documents that, he claims, prove Palestinian ownership of the land.
Israeli officials, however, cite security concerns as the reason for constructing barriers that will encircle Bardala and neighboring villages, cutting them off from vital agricultural lands.
U.S. Policy and Settler Expansion
The situation has been further complicated by the potential appointment of Mike Huckabee as the U.S. ambassador to Israel. Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas and staunch supporter of Israeli settlers, has dismissed the concept of the West Bank as occupied territory, referring to it instead as “Judea and Samaria.”
Huckabee’s stance aligns with that of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has called for full annexation of the West Bank. “The year 2025 will be, with God’s help, the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” Smotrich declared recently.
Regional Diplomacy in Flux
While Huckabee’s appointment could embolden Israeli settlement expansion, analysts believe broader geopolitical dynamics may temper its impact. Former Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh expressed optimism that Saudi Arabia, under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, would continue to advocate for a Palestinian state as a precondition for normalization with Israel.
“We are closely coordinating with Saudi Arabia,” Shtayyeh said, emphasizing the kingdom’s potential role in countering unilateral annexation moves.
The Grim Reality in Bardala
For the 4,000 residents of Bardala and nearby villages, annexation and eviction threats are a harsh reality. Farmers like Khalid, who depend on their land for survival, face an uncertain future as barriers encroach on their fields.
