ABU DIS; WEST BANK; Occupied territories, PALESTINA/ISRAEL,

By Freelance photographer Torbjörn Larsson member of the photography agency SILVER.

Torbjörn Larsson has been travelling to Israel since January 2002. He has been in Israel and the occupied territories of the West Bank nearly 9 months in total. Educated in New York at International Centre of Photography 1995 to 1996.

He has received the 1-year working grant from the Art Council of Sweden in 2004-2005, to continue his work in this region.

The Settlers vs. the family Qumbar

Abu Dis is located on the occupied territories of the west bank in Palestine. It has been under occupation since 1967 years war between Israel/Jordan/Egypt/Syria. Between 1949 and 1967, Jordan occupied it.

Israel is now building a wall around the West Bank to protect them self’s from suicide bombers and other terror acts from fundamental Palestinian groups who are fighting for a free Palestinian state. The green line after the war in 1967, that divided Israel from the occupied territories of the WB has been the direction for the wall, but since there are natural assets such as water, good soil for agriculture and settlers in this area, Israel has simply built the wall after convenience. Today there is 120.000 Palestinians living between the green line and the Israeli built wall inside the WB. They are at this point not allowed, in most cases, to obtain the blue ID card of Israel instead of the green card of WB. This means they are captured as in an open-air prison. ABU DIS, were the family Qumbar has lived the last 84 years, don't understand why their home has been cut off from Abu Dis, were they have family, friends, grocery store and schools for the children. The unemployment in this family is almost 100% after the Al-Aqsa Intifada started and the future is not bright. They have applied for Israeli ID cards 5 times, with rejection. They don't know why?

One of the explanations might be that the powerful fundamental Israeli group Ateret Cohanim have decided to build a new settlement in this area. They have according to David, one of the founders & the responsible of founding of this settlement, plans of building 310 homes on this hillside over looking Mt Olives. David who is originally from Australia get founding’s from rich American & European Jews. This day David has a group of 10 Americans on visit. He bring them to the roof of one of the new settlers home, were he enthusiastic explains the plans. One of the guests suddenly asked, - “ What’s going to happen to the Palestinian family”, pointing to the family Qumbar’s home, 150 meters away. He answers, - “ Ah, we are looking into it, they probably don’t have the permition to build here or we might have to buy the land, but it’s not a problem”

Ateret Cohanim (Hebrew for “Crown of the priest”)

Extremist Jewish group whose goal it is to judaize the Christian and Muslim Quarters of the old city as well as East Jerusalem by taking over Palestinian property and fostering settlement construction. Founded by Jewish-American businessman Irving Moskowitz. Supports numerous Jewish families living in the aforementioned neighbourhoods; involved in the settlement building at Jabal Mukkaber, Ras Al-Amud and Abu Dis.