Israel dismantles anti-settlement camp in Jordan Valley

The Israeli army dismantled on Monday a symbolic tent village two days after it was set up by Palestinian activists in the Jordan Valley to defy Israel's settlement activity there. "The troops stormed the village in the morning, and they have confiscated the tents and forced us out of it," said Khaled Mansour, an anti-settlement activist. The Israeli army said the area is a military zone and erecting such camps in such areas is illegal. Activists stressed they will beef up activities and erect more villages in the area to confront Israel's land confiscation policies. Meanwhile, around 300 Palestinian and foreign activists continued their protest for the fourth day in a row in Ain Hejleh, an abandoned Canaanite village in the Jordan Valley, against Israeli annexation plans. The activists in Ain Hejleh have been besieged by Israeli troops since Sunday morning. The army demanded that they leave before being forced out. The Jordan Valley is one of the thorniest issues in the U.S- brokered Israeli-Palestinian peace talks which started last July. Israel wants to keep its forces in the area for security reasons even if a peace agreement is reached. The Palestinians say any Israeli presence there is unacceptable. Almost 87 percent of the Valley, which borders Jordan, is under Israel's control.