Mhlawumbi yimeko ezolileyo yokhuseleko, okanye lilanga elingaqhelekanga likaFebruwari eliye lahlala kulo mmandla ukusukela kwiveki ephelileyo - kodwa ngenxa yaso nasiphi na isizathu, inani labakhenkethi abathontelana ukuya eYeriko liye landa kwiveki ephelileyo, lafikelela kuma-24,000.
Akukho mntu kushishino lwezokhenketho onokuchaza ngokuthe ngqo ukuba kungakanani ukonyuka oku kubandakanya, kodwa kukho isivumelwano ngokubanzi sokuba iJeriko yindawo ethandwa kakhulu kukhenketho lwasePalestina.
Ngokwamapolisa okhenketho asePalestine kunye namapolisa amandulo, phantse isinye kwisithathu seendwendwe eziye eJeriko kule veki iphelileyo yayingabakhenkethi bangaphandle, malunga ne-12,000 yayingabantu basePalestine abavela kwi-West Bank kwaye i-4,500 yayingabantu basePalestine abangabemi bakwa-Israeli.
Ukunyuka kwezokhenketho ziindaba ezimnandi kumasipala waseJeriko, oceba umbhiyozo omkhulu ngoOkthobha ka-2010 wokuphawula iminyaka eyi-10,000 yesixeko saseWest Bank.
“Sisebenza kwiziseko ezingundoqo, sineeprojekthi zokhenketho ukuphucula ukhenketho kwaye sikwaphakamisa isixeko ngeentengiso,” utshilo uWiam Ariqat, intloko yeSebe lezoBudlelwane boLuntu neNkcubeko kuMasipala waseJeriko.
Umasipala uceba ukwenza oku ngokutsala utyalo-mali lwabucala ngakumbi esixekweni.
“IYeriko sisixeko samazwe ngamazwe,” utshilo u-Ariqat. “Kutshanje, abakhenkethi abaninzi baye badlula eYeriko. Asigxininisi ekubeni aba bakhenkethi badlule esixekweni baze batyelele indawo enye okanye ezimbini – sifuna aba bakhenkethi bachithe ixesha elingakumbi apha, bamise eYeriko, baye ezihotele, benze indawo yokuhlala ekhethekileyo baze batye isidlo sasemini apha.”
Ukuhambisa imali yeholide yabakhenkethi ngomnye wemingeni ephambili kwicandelo lokhenketho lakwaSirayeli nelasePalestina, omabini alwela iipokotho ezifanayo.
Abantu basePalestina bahlala bekhalaza ukuba amaSirayeli aququzelela uhambo lwabakhenkethi bamanye amazwe kwaye aqinisekise ukuba imali ingena kwiihotele zabo, abakhokelayo, iindawo zokutyela kunye nezokhenketho, nto leyo ebangela ukuba oontanga babo basePalestina bafumane inzuzo yokhenketho.
"Bakwalawula imida, ii-arhente zokuhamba, ukukhuthazwa, izikhokelo kunye nokuthutha," kusho u-Ariqat. “Sifuna ukuwutshintsha lo mbono. Ukuze kungenelwe lo mmandla, bafanele basebenzisane kuba abakhenkethi abaceba ukutyelela iYeriko baceba ukutyelela wonke lo mmandla—iYeriko, iSirayeli, iYordan neYiputa.”
U-Iyyad Hamdan, umlawuli wezokhenketho kunye neendawo ze-archeological eYeriko kwiSebe lezoKhenketho lasePalestina libhekiselele ekunyuseni kwamva nje kwabakhenkethi baseJeriko ekuqaleni kwexesha lokhenketho, imozulu emnandi kunye nemeko yokhuseleko oluphuculweyo.
“Namhlanje imeko ingcono, kodwa ngamanye amaxesha iindawo zokujonga zenza kube nzima kubakhenkethi,” utshilo uHamdan. “Ukuba sithelekisa imeko ngoku nemeko yowama-2000, ekuqaleni kwe-Intifada [imvukelo yasePalestina], izolile ngoku kwaye kukho abakhenkethi abaninzi.”
Kodwa uHamdan ubalule unxulumano olunzima phakathi korhulumente okhoyo wase-Israel kunye ne-Palestinian Authority (PA) njengesizathu sokungabikho kwentsebenziswano phakathi kwamagosa abo okhenketho.
UGhassan Sadeq, umphathi wezezimali kunye nenkxaso yezoshishino kwi-InterContinental Hotel eJeriko uthe ngaphandle kwasekuqaleni kwe-2009, ngexesha lemfazwe eGaza, kukho ukunyuka kwamanani okhenketho eJeriko ukususela kwi-2008.
Kodwa ngelishwa, uSadeq uthe, ngaphandle kwamanani akhuthazayo, inyani yeyokuba abakhenkethi basakhetha ukuhlala kwiihotele eJerusalem ngaphandle kwamaxabiso okhuphiswano anikezelwa yihotele.
"Ngo-2007, saya kwii-arhente zokuhamba zakwaSirayeli saza sazinika iincwadana zeehotele zethu," watsho. Sathi 'ukuba nisithumelela abakhenkethi, siya kulungiselela ukhuseleko lwabo, akukho ngxaki eYeriko.' Kodwa abazange bathumele nomntu omnye osuka kumaqela abo abakhenkethi. Iseyingxaki nangoku.”
U-Sadeq ukholelwa ukuba phantsi kwemozulu yangoku yezopolitiko kunye nesantya sentsebenziswano phakathi kwamacala amabini, umzekelo kuphela apho abakhenkethi base-Israel baya kuthumela abakhenkethi kwiihotele eBhetelehem okanye eJeriko ukuba iihotele zaseYerusalem zibhukishwe ngokupheleleyo.
Kwinyanga ephelileyo kwaxelwa ukuba uMlawuli oyiNtloko we-Israel kunye nentloko yoLawulo loLuntu uya kuvumela abakhenkethi base-Israel ukuba bahambe baye eJeriko naseBhetelehem kunye namaqela abakhenkethi abangewona amaSirayeli kwaye babakhokele kwiindawo zegunya lasePalestina, ngesicelo esivela kwi-Israel. UMphathiswa wezoKhenketho.
U-Ariqat uvakalise ukuthandabuza malunga nenzuzo yesi sicwangciso.
“Mhlawumbi inganceda ukwandisa inani labakhenkethi, kodwa bazakuthumela imiyalezo yabo kubakhenkethi kwaye asinamdla kuloo nto,” utshilo. "Sinomyalezo wethu kunye nombono wethu kwaye siyathanda ukunxibelelana ngokuthe ngqo nabakhenkethi."
