The villages of Artas and Al-Walaja, both just outside of Betlehem, have been engaging in almost weekly demonstrations against the construction of the Annexation Fence on their land. Both villages have been steadfast in their resistance, and international and Israeli activists have been standing in solidarity with them. This past week the Israeli Occupation Forces demonstrated just how concerned they are by these weekly non-violent protests. On August 24 internationals and Israelis attempted to go to the weekly demonstration in Al-Walaja. However, just before the entrance to Al-Walaja, which has only one main road, the IOF set up a checkpoint and would not let any internationals or Israelis they … Continue reading

This Saturday, August 18, international activists joined residents of Dhahariya as they attempted to open a roadblock for a 4th time. The last time the roadblock was opened in may, 3 internationals and 2 Israelis were arrested. This time, Palestinians and internationals marched from Dhahariya to the roadblock, which cuts off 90,000 people from directly accessing Hebron, the district’s main city. When they arrived at the roadblock, demonstrators wrapped the rope around one of the blocks and started pulling together, shouting, ‘wahad, thneen, theleth’ (‘one, two, three!’). Soon after they began, an Israeli Occupation Forces jeep arrived with four soldiers. One soldier began videotaping the … Continue reading

This friday international and Israeli activists joined the people in Al-Walaja, Betlehem district, as they continued their struggle against the construction of the Annexation Barrier on their land. The demonstration began in the street of Al-Walaja, where a sheikh described the current situation in Al-Walaja and the devastating impact the Annexation Barrier will have on their community. After a collective prayer, the demonstrators marched to the land that had recently been bulldozed by the Israeli Occupation Forces. A woman from the community spoke passionately about the role of the international community. In particular, she directed her comments to Christians worldwide. A nearby monastery that was built many years … Continue reading

Today, Palestinian, international, and Israeli activists joined together in Beit Mirsim, Hebron District, and destroyed part of the Apartheid Fence.
Beit Mirsim is a small village near the Green Line in the southern West Bank. It is the site of beautiful archaeological sites and ancient homes, and recently, it has become yet another village caged in by the illegal Annexation Barrier. Throughout Palestine people reject the presence of this Annexation Barrier which separates Palestinian from Palestinian, farmer from his land, student from her school, people from their families. Israeli and international activists … Continue reading

The struggle against the Annexation Barrier continued in Al-Walaja this Friday. The residents, accompanied by international and Israeli activists and Palestinians from the surrounding area, gathered near the site of the current construction of the illegal Annexation Barrier for Friday prayer. After praying, demonstrators marched peacefully along the construction site. The residents of Al-Walaja will be some of the tens of thousands of Palestinians caught between the Annexation Barrier and the Green (armistice) Line. The case of Al-Walaja is particularly egregious since, because of their location between the Gush Etzion settlement bloc and the ‘Greater Jerusalem’ envelope, they will be completely surrounded by the Barrier which is confiscating much … Continue reading

On Tuesday, August 7, 2007 Palestinian students received their end-of-year exam marks. It was a day for celebration (for some), and consequently an occasion for fireworks. At approximately 1pm in the village of Al-Jab’a, Betlehem district, these celebrations were abruptly ended when Israeli Occupation Forces invaded the village, detained several male residents, and occupied at least 1 home.
Several jeeps and Armoured Personnel Carriers entered the small village of 800 residents where soldiers closed the road near the school and began stopping and questioning residents. They also forced one man to allow them into his home while his family waited outside. When international activists asked why they were … Continue reading

On August 3 at 9am Israeli Occupation Forces closed down the streets in an area in Burqa, a village north of Nablus. They shot at homes before invading them and ordering the residents outside. Using police dogs, the soldiers then ransacked peoples homes and kidnapped 8 men. In a particularly brutal fashion, soldiers put hoods over the men and tied them together with a crude rope. The men taken were: Najood Abu Omar, Tariq Saif, Amin Jamal ‘Itsougi, Tamir Dagalus, Nadeem ‘Omar, Habib Jaffer, Samir Abdullah, and Samir Ahmed. Their families were not given any information about why they were being taken or to where. All of … Continue reading

The Betlehem region was the site of two demonstrations against the construction of the Annexation Barrier this friday. International and Israeli activists first joined the residents of Artas in their now weekly demonstration against the construction of a sewage drainage area for the settlement of Efrat and the section of the Annexation Barrier that are being built on Artas’ land. Palestinian, international and Israeli demonstrators marched from the village to the site of the current construction. A small concrete structure has been built on land that less than two months ago was filled with fruit trees. Sewage from the Israeli settlement will now be piped into the valley which … Continue reading