The Israeli authorities imposed the Arnona tax on the residents of the village of Al-Nu'man, east of Bethlehem, despite the fact that they hold the identity card of the Palestinian Authority.

Jamal Al-Darawi, the head of the local council in the village, told Al-Quds.com: “The Israeli authorities continue through their practices to isolate the village from its Palestinian reality, and these measures began more than twenty years ago when they surrounded it with the apartheid wall and erected an iron gate in the middle of it that defines its adult population.” Their number is about two hundred people. When do they leave the village and when do they enter it, imposing strict measures against them and limiting their movement towards their surroundings in the Bethlehem governorate.

He added: Since then, the village has already turned into a prison for its residents, whose connection with the surroundings is no longer easy at all levels, including access to their workplaces in Palestinian institutions or sending their children to educational institutions affiliated with the Authority, while at the same time they are unable to reach areas belonging to the Palestinian Authority. for Jerusalem.

And he pointed out that the occupation forces deal with the fact that the land belongs to the Jerusalem municipality, but without the residents who hold the Palestinian identity, and therefore forced them to pay the Arnona tax, known as the property tax, and the people continued to refuse to pay this tax until the occupation authorities began to take measures against them, including preventing them from leaving The village and the withdrawal of permits granted to workers who work in Israeli factories and workshops, or preventing them from obtaining permits to receive treatment in Jerusalem hospitals for citizens who need treatment in Jerusalem hospitals.

Al-Darawi said: "The matter developed recently, with the raiding of citizens' homes by employees of the Israeli Tax and Customs Department, along with employees of the Jerusalem Municipality and forces from the so-called Border Guards and the House Furniture Count in order to confiscate them. Faced with these terrible pressures, the residents began to pay the Arnona tax forcibly." And they feel that they are alone, wondering about the role of the Ministry of Jerusalem or the role of the Palestinian government as a whole in order to defend and protect the residents, not only in order not to pay the money of this exorbitant tax, but in order not to force them to leave, and then for the occupation authorities to seize the entire village and annex it to the municipal borders Jerusalem and bringing settlers in their place to live in this village, which has an area of about 1474 dunums, of which 1294 dunums are arable, while the area occupied by citizens’ homes is about 31 dunums.

And he indicated that the occupation authorities are trying to seize the village, annex it to the borders of the Jerusalem municipality, and bring settlers in their place to live in this village, which has an area of about 1474 dunums, of which 1294 dunums are arable.

Pointing out that the village is adjacent to the village of Sur Baher in occupied Jerusalem, but without any roads leading to this village and thus to the borders of the Holy City.

Al-Darawi explained that the amounts that the Israeli Customs and Tax Department and the Jerusalem Municipality began to collect from citizens are retroactive and years ago, indicating that the Israeli side seeks from all these practices is to impose a fait accompli policy, implement forced displacement, and evacuate the village, which is already exposed to the policy of apartheid and forced displacement. They already feel alone and up for grabs with this dangerous policy.