Some 100 Palestinians, 50 internationals and ten Israelis gathered this Friday in the village of Ma’asara for a wedding march, which was combined with the weekly anti-wall demonstration in order to highlight the severe personal and social implications of the occupation, the oppression and the wall. Demonstrators accompanied a couple that got married just the night before and two other couples disguised as newlyweds all the way across the village, with marriage songs and protest slogans interchanging and completing each other. Coming close to the end of the built area of the village the couples left to prepare themselves for the next part of the wedding-protest.

The rest … Continue reading

As a close to a week of demonstrations, informational sessions, and visits to various communities in the Betlehem District, the “House of Abraham” group, sponsored by the Lutheran Church of Beit Jala, along with the Beit Jala Prisoners Society and leading muftis throughout Palestine, including the high Mufti of Jerusalem, marched arm in arm through the streets of Beit Jala signifying both their opposition to Israeli Occupation and the need for unity within Palestinian communities. They were followed by drumming scout troops, representatives of the Prisoners Society with banners reading “imprisoning youth is against international law”, and hundreds of youth from summer camps sponsored by the House of Abraham from Hussan, Deheishe Refugee camp, Beit Jala and Beit Ommar. … Continue reading

On Tuesday July 7th, Palestinians, Israelis and internationals met at 5pm from both sides of the Annexation fence near Beit Jala and the illegal Israeli settlement of Gilo. The Barrier in this location cuts off residents of Beit Jala from significant portions of their agricultural land. They met with a message of peace, justice and inter-religious tolerance against the occupation. As a gesture of solidarity, each of the religious groups brought symbolic items to exchange with one another through the Barrier. On the Palestinian side of the Annexation Barrier, all participants, including a large German solidarity delegation of approximately 100 members, reached the meeting point next to the fence without any delays or obstacles; the situation on the other … Continue reading

Over fifty demonstrators gathered in Al Ma’asara today for the weekly demonstration against Israel’s Apartheid Wall. As usual, the demonstrators marched from the center of town to the main road carrying a 30-foot long Palestinian flag and pictures of imprisoned loved ones, drumming and chanting “The Wall must fall!.”

The march was stopped by a line of nearly thirty Israeli soldiers, who had stretched a razor wire barrier across the road. The demonstrators gave speeches condemning the Wall and demanding an end to the occupation. At one point, several … 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.

On the 8th of May, 2009, residents of the southern West Bank village of Al-Ma’asara conducted their weekly demonstration against Israel’s annexation barrier, despite increased repression from Israeli forces. At last week’s demonstration, five nonviolent Palestinian organizers were arrested, and they continue to be held in an Israeli prison. This Friday, Israeli soldiers created at least three flying checkpoints on the roads leading to the village in an attempt to stop participants from reaching the demonstration. Soldiers turned back all Palestinian cars and only allowed settler vehicles to pass. Five military jeeps and two police cars were also stationed at the entrance to Al-Ma’asara, much further into the village than during past Friday demonstrations. … Continue reading

This Friday, like every Friday for the past few years, saw demonstrations across the West Bank. In Al-Ma’asara, residents along with Israeli and international solidarity activists marched towards the razor-wire arbitrarily placed along the entrance to the village beyond which more than a dozen soldiers, some from a unit that was involved in the massive invasion in Beit Ommar, waited. Demonstrators, carrying Palestinian and party-affiliated flags, began climbing a pile of stones to the side of the razor-wire, demanding their right to access their lands beyond the line. They were met by Israeli soldiers and border police who began grabbing demonstrators and attempted to push them off the mound of stones. Committee member Mahmoud Zahre … Continue reading

Demonstrations in Ni’lin, Al-Ma’asara, Jayyous, and Bil’in continued this week against the construction of the Annexation Barrier, the confiscation of land, and the destruction of agricultural trees. This week, demonstrations also began in Wadi A-Rasha, a small village in the Qalqylia district that is confronting the destruction of their lands for the Annexation Barrier for a second time.
In Ni’lin, 8 people were injured, 4 by live ammunition, as Israeli forces invaded the village after a midday prayer, attempting to surround local youth. Tear gas, rubber-coated steel bullets, and small-caliber live ammunition were fired at the youth and at homes inside the village.
In Bi’lin a larger than usual gathering of nearly 100 people took their usual path towards the … Continue reading

Ma’an – An Israeli military tribunal has issued a decision that could pave the way for the expansion of the West Bank settlement of Efrat without informing a group of Palestinians who were petitioning to save their land.

In the ruling, a court in the settlement of Ofer rejected eight separate petitions, each representing dozens of Palestinians. The petitioners had objected to a 2004 declaration by the Israeli Civil Administration to designating some 1,700 dunums (1.7 square kilometers) of land north of Efrat “state land.”

The land at stake belongs to the Palestinian village of Artas, on the southern outskirts of Bethlehem. A catholic monastery is located just to the north of the land slated for confiscation.

If the Israeli Defense Ministry approves … Continue reading

Ma’an – A key Israeli government agency has been promoting plans to build thousands of new houses in illegal West Bank settlements, government documents made public on Friday show.

Documents from Israel’s Civil Administration, the government organ responsible for nonmilitary affairs in the occupied West Bank, were obtained by the organization B’Tselem through a Freedom of Information request.

The plans, developed over the last two years, were approved by the Environment Subcommittee of the Civil Administration’s planning wing and plot out a major expansion of the Gush Eztion settlement bloc. If realized the plan will cut a swath of the West Bank adjacent to the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, and annex it to the new settlement areas.

The initial construction would see … Continue reading