Construction of the Israeli wall, which has scarred the ancient landscape of Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the name of security, has been halted for the first time in years, bringing relief to a Palestinian village with 2,500-year old farm terraces and aqueducts.

Israel's high court in May gave Batir and its 6,000 residents – famed for its annual yield of aubergines – reason to hope that a way of life preserved through centuries won't be destroyed.

The rare injunction now puts the onus on security authorities to demonstrate that construction won't risk Batir's cultural and environmental heritage.

(READ the story in the CS Monitor)