For the first time since the beginning of April, members of the Soleiby family have successfully cultivated their land in Saffa, Beit Omar, without the interference of soldiers or settlers. After a violent attack by the Israeli military Saturday morning that resulted in the arrest of 26 activists and the injury of dozens more, the army has agreed to provide protection for the Soleiby family as they cultivate their land near the Bat ‘Ayn settlement.

The Abu Jabber, Abu Mohammed, and Abu Fahed Soleiby families are of Palestinian farmers from Beit Ommar with land in Saffa. They are regularly attacked by settlers from the illegal Bat ‘Ayn settlement, who … Continue reading

June 27, 2009–As has been done since the beginning of April when the Israeli military began actively preventing members of the Soleiby family of Beit Ommar from accessing their agricultural land near Bat ‘Ayn settlement with a series of “Closed military zone” orders, Israeli and international activists joined the family in an attempt to pick fruit on their land. This week, however, the military went to extreme measures to prevent the activists and farmers from getting anywhere near their land.

In … Continue reading

In the early hours of Monday, June 22, 2009, settlers from the Bat ‘Ain settlement set fire and cut down more than 125 grapevines and fruit trees belonging to Hamad Soleiby. Israeli soldiers said they saw a fire in the Palestinian agricultural fields some time during the night and went to put it out, though they did nothing to collect the evidence; kerosene canisters and matches were still there the next morning when activists from the Palestine Solidarity Project accompanied the farmer’s family to survey the damage.

One week before, … Continue reading

Despite understanding that they would only be able to harvest for one hour at most, that they would be met with settler aggression, grape leaves need to be picked and so, for another Saturday, a group of approximately 30 International and Israeli activists joined Hamad and Jabber Soleiby and their families as they tended their land in Saffa, near the Bat ’Ain settlement. For yet another Saturday, the group was greeted to the land by a crowd of masked right-wing Israeli settlers.

The group of farmers and activists slowly headed down the hill and toward the orchards as the settlers hurled stones … Continue reading

After 1 year, 2 months, and 3 days without charge, trial, or evidence, Mousa Abu Maria, co-founder of the Palestine Solidarity Project, was released last night from Ofer prison. He was welcomed home by family and friends and a nice array of fireworks. PSP is very excited for the return of one of its lead organizers. Mousa reports being held for periods of time in isolation by the Israeli security services when he refused to serve as a spy for the Israeli government, but is otherwise in good health.

PSP and Mousa would like to express our deepest thanks to the hundreds of people who wrote letters of support, donated money to his legal fund, and kept updated … Continue reading

This Saturday, as has been done every Saturday for over a month, International and Israeli activists joined Hamad and Jabber Soleiby and their families as they worked their land in Saffa, near Bat ‘Ain settlement. This Saturday, however, both the Israeli army and settlers from the right-wing extremist settlement were ready and waiting.

While soldiers stood by and watched, settlers threw rocks at the farmers and solidarity activists and rolled boulders down into the agricultural land. Soldiers then shouted across the small valley to the solidarity activists, telling them it was a closed military zone and the people would have to leave. … Continue reading

Saturday, residents of Susiya, a small community in the South Hebron Hills, were joined by members of Combatants for Peace and Ta’ayush, along with other international and Israeli activists, in an attempt to build their own structure next to a newly-constructed building on their privately owned land which was placed there by a group of right-wing ideological settlers from the Susiya settlement. More than 200 Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals marched from Susiya, carrying metal poles and material in the colors of the Palestinian flag.
The symbolic action was meant to illustrate … Continue reading

This Saturday once again, international and Israeli activists joined farmers from the Saffa area of Beit Ommar on their land near the settlement of Bat Ayn. For the last two months, farmers have been forced to use Israeli and international accompaniment as they pick grape leaves and tend to their land in order to prevent attack from right-wing extremist settlers. The Israeli military has made it even more difficult by constantly ordering the entire area a closed military zone; an act that is supposed to be used temporarily but … Continue reading

36 Year old Akeel Srour often participated in demonstrations against the construction of the Annexation Barrier on the agricultural land of Ni’lin, Ramallah District. Demonstrations first began in Ni’lin against the construction of the Barrier in late 2003, but was delayed by a court case. When construction resumed over a year ago, demonstrations were organized by a local popular committee, often several times a week. The village then began a schedule of weekly demonstrations on Fridays to correspond with similar demonstrations in nearby Bil’in and Ma’asara in Betlehem District.

In the last year, the Israeli military has been increasingly negligent in its use of violence, which has … Continue reading

Mohammed Birgia, a member of the committee against the Apartheid Wall in Ma’asara, Betlehem district, was released Thursday after a bail appeal hearing, on 25,000 shekels bail. He was arrested along with 4 other Palestinians, 1 Israeli, and 1 International activist during a non-violent demonstration in Ma’asara on May 1, 2009. While the Israeli and international activist were both released the same day, three Palestinians were released only on exorbitant bails and Mohammed and his brother Hassan were both originally held without bail. Hassan is still being held without bail until the end of the trial, which begins this week for both him and Mohammed.