On November 9th, 2011 at around 1:30pm, Palestinian residents of Beit Ommar were harassed by a group of settlers accompanied by Israeli soldiers. The attack occurred in an area of the village not far from the illegal settlement of Bat Ayn, one of the most ideologically colonialist and dangerous settlements in the West Bank.

The Israeli soldiers accompanied the settlers on the back roads towards Beit Ommar, only a few kilometers from the settlement. The settlers then proceeded to set fire to three Palestinian cars, and two of them were totally … Continue reading

Update:
After being arrested from his residence in Beit Ommar by about 100 soldiers 2am on the morning of November 5th, PSP organizer Yousef Abu Maria was released after being interrogated and held for more than 24 hours.

At 2 o’clock this morning PSP committee – and Beit Ommar Popular Committee member, Yousef Abu Maria was arrested from his home. Today the Popular Commiittee of Beit Ommar and PSP arranged their weekly demonstration against the Israeli occupation and dedicated the demonstration to Yousef Abu Maria and the attack on the flotilla.

Residents … Continue reading

This week PSP, along with many international volunteers, joined farmers from Surif in the olive harvest.

The olive harvest is a busy season and many hands are required to do the job. Several traditions and rituals are related to the olive harvest, and it is also an important social event. The internationals were glad to help and enjoyed picking the olives in beautiful surroundings, but their presence is not only for fun. International presence and attention can be of great importance because of the continual harassment the farmers face from settlers. Report … Continue reading

The National Committee for Resisting Settlement and Apartheid Wall in Beit Ommar and Palestine Solidarity Project

Dear All,

The National Committee of Beit Ommar and Palestine Solidarity Project (PSP ) declare the start of:

“Save the Land – Donate an Olive Tree Seedling” Campaign

In light of the escalation of Israeli occupation and its settlers’ attacks against the Palestinian human, land, trees and properties,mainly in area “C” ( under full Israeli control). The Israeli settlers are always attacking the Palestinian farmers, seizing their land, cutting down trees and destroying crops mostly during the olive harvest season. “Save the land” campaign aims to raise necessary funds to buy … Continue reading

The Popular Commiittee of Beit Ommar, PSP along with a big crowd of Israeli and international activists held the usual weekly peaceful demonstration against the Israeli occupation, land confiscation, solidarity with prisoners, and a call asking Tony Blair to go back home. The site for the demonstration was outside the fence of Karmei Tsur settlement to the south of Beit Ommar.
The demonstrators were able to go all the way up to the fence before the Israeli army arrived. On the other side of the fence, there was a heavily armed settler. After a few minutes many soldiers arrived and as the activists were chanting their slogans, the … Continue reading

October 28th 2011. Loads of teargas was shot into the town of Beit Ommar. Residents of Beit Ommar followed a funeral procession from the mosque in the middle of town to the cemetery close to Route 60 and the Israeli watchtower to burry one of the residents who died of cancer. When the procession arrived at the cemetry, Israeli soldiers surounded it and Israeli jeeps gathered at the entrance of town. The Israeli soldiers closed the main entrance to town and at some point they started to shoot teargas.

After some time … Continue reading

Name: Majde Mahmoud Za’aqiq
Marital Status: Divorced
Father of two children
Profession: Teacher
Age: 41 years
Nationality: Palestinian
Address: Beit Ommar
Currently: Detained in Israeli occupation prisons.
Charge: peaceful resistance to the occupation and defense of human rights.

The story of detention started 25/8/2011 – the month of holy Ramadan. Madje was fasting. The day of detention was a Saturday, the day we usually go to protest -non-violent march, against the settlement and the Israeli apartheid wall. Our weapons that … Continue reading

22th October 2011: Accompanied by a big crowd of international and Israeli activists and residents of Beit Ommar, PSP had a peaceful demonstration towards the illegal settlement of Karmei Tsur.

The internationals carried slogans for “justice,” “freedom for all”, and “dignity for the Palestinians”.
Slogans supporting freedom for the prisoners and the occupation were also present.
Speeches were held in Arabic, English and French.

The internationals were impressed by the engagment … Continue reading

October 19th, 2011, PSP, members from The Popular Committees of Beit Ommar and Surif, several international volunteers, and boy shouts from the area supported Palestinian farmers from Abu Shook in Surif while they harvested their olive trees.

The olive grove is in area C, only a few kilometers from to the segregation wall, and the farmers prefer to be accompanied, due to earlier harassment from Israeli settlers or the army.

… Continue reading

Majde Za’aqiq, a 38-year-old school teacher from Beit Ommar and a long-time member of both the Palestine Solidarity Project and the Center for Freedom and Justice, has been imprisoned by the Israeli Authorities for nearly two months and is currently hunger striking against inhumane prison conditions. The mass hunger strike, now in its third week, has seen the participation of hundreds of Palestinian political prisoners in multiple prisons. The strikers are demanding an improvement in their conditions, including the ending the use of solitary confinement by Israeli Authorities to isolate and break the spirits of the prisoners.

Majde Za’aqiq was arrested on August 20, 2011 as he was … Continue reading