Approximately 40 people participated in this week’s Friday demonstration in South Betlehem, organized by the people of Al-Ma’asara and joined by international and Israeli activists. Participants gathered at the entrance to Al-Ma’asara and attempted to march towards the site of the construction of the Annexation Barrier. As in the past several weeks, the Israeli military strung barbed wire across the road, preventing the demonstrators from moving out of the village. Young Palestinians began to move the barbed wire, with some help from supporters, including members of PSP and Anarchists Against the Wall. After a small gap was made in the barbed wire and Israeli and international activists began to move through it, soldiers attacked them, grabbing … Continue reading

The weekly Friday demonstration in South Betlehem included the theme “We Are All Mousa Abu Maria” in solidarity with Mousa, co-founder of PSP and now political prisoner being held in the Ketziot prison in Israel. Israeli and international activists joined Palestinians from al Ma’asara and Beit Ommar in wearing signs saying, “I am Mousa Abu Maria” in several different languages. Mousa has been a key organizer and supporter of demonstrations in the area and has been attending the demonstrations in the Um Salamuna/Al Ma’asara region since their inception in early 2007. Partcipants met at the entrance to Um Salamuna and Al-Ma’asara and marched down the road where they were soon … Continue reading

Friday, May 2, nearly 300 Palestinian, international and Israeli activists gathered in the village of Al-Ma’asara, South of Betlehem, to demonstrate against the construction of the Annexation Barrier in the region. The demonstration today was in honor of International Workers Day (May Day) and Dr. Moustafa Bargouthi was in attendance and spoke at length about the damage the construction of the Barrier and settlement expansion was having on Palestinian workers. As a case in point, if the Annexation Barrier is completed in the South Betlehem district, it will cut off many Palestinians in the villages from Betlehem itself, the economic, educational, and social center of the district. Farmers in regions where the Annexation Barrier has been completed … Continue reading

A larger than usual crowd gathered this Friday, April 4, in South Betlehem to protest the ongoing construction of the Annexation Barrier on the lands of Palestinians from Al-Ma’asara, Um Salamuna, Wadi Rahaal, and Wadi An-Nis. People from Um Salamuna and Al-Ma’asara were joined by international and Israeli activists this Friday with the intention of marching from the villages to the current construction site, near the Efrat settlement.
As the group gathered and prepared to move down the road, however, the Israeli Occupation Forces set up an ad hoc barrier, stringing barbed wire across the road to try to prevent the march from proceeding. … Continue reading

Today, international and Israeli activists joined more than 200 Palestinians from the village of Al-Khadr and surrounding villages in their weekly demonstration against the construction of a series of Apartheid structures, including the Annexation Barrier, a settler by-pass road, and by-pass tunnel. Today residents commemorated Land Day, traditionally observed in Palestine on March 30.
Participants gathered near the main thoroughfare, Route 60, and held their midday Friday prayer near the site where the Annexation Barrier is currently being built. The Wall in this area will cut off or destroy 90% of Al-Khadr’s land in Israel’s most recent policy of land confiscation. They then marched towards the highway where Israeli Occupation Forces … Continue reading

This Friday, March 21, more than 200 Palestinians marched against the construction of the Annexation Barrier in the Betlehem District in two different demonstrations in Al-Khadr and Um Salamuna. These demonstrations came two days after Israeli media reported that the Israeli Occupation Forces have been given more “legal” leeway to fire live ammunition at the legs of demonstrators near the “Separation Barrier”. The report also stated that international and Israeli demonstrators were not to be fired on. This policy has been in practice, with varying frequency, since the resistance to the construction of the Annexation Barrier began in 2003. However, news that the Border Police had been given clearance to shoot non-violent demonstrators was worrisome … Continue reading

A massive demonstration was held by students in Betlehem today, March 15, against the assassinations of 4 men last week and the ongoing Israeli military incursions into Beit Jala. The Israeli Occupation Forces have been invading Beit Jala almost nightly, occupying homes and setting off explosives. The students carried photos of the men who were killed by undercover Israeli forces Wednesday night, and marched past each of their homes. They also marched through the streets of Beit Jala, chanting slogans against the occupation and the ongoing “negotiations” between Mahmoud Abbas’s imposed government and Israeli government officials. The students blocked traffic as they marched through the streets towards Manger Square, where a traditional mourning tent for the … Continue reading

In Ramallah, thousands participated in a demonstration called jointly by Fatah and Hamas. In Betlehem, Palestinians gathered near the Church of the Nativity, in Hebron, near a University. Schools were closed throughout the West Bank as thousands marched to apparatuses of the Israeli Occupation: checkpoints, watchtowers, the Annexation Barrier. People marched in Nablus, Qalqilya, Jenin, Betlehem, Jerusalem, Hebron, Ramallah and dozens of smaller towns, protesting the ongoing massacre in Gaza. And make no mistake, it is a massacre. Even Israeli news sources are reporting around 50% of the fatalities are civilians. In reality, no one but the Palestinians on the ground can be sure of who was a fighter and who a civilian; … Continue reading

This Friday, international and Israeli activists joined residents outside Um Salamuna and Al-Khadr in two demonstrations against the construction of the Annexation Wall on their land. Beginning in Um Salamuna, demonstrators gathered near the entrances to Al Ma’asara and Um Salamuna and began to march down the street towards the construction site, near the Efrat settlement. They were quickly met by the Israeli military, who attacked demonstrators, grabbing and pushing participants as they attempted to march towards Route 60, the main road for both Palestinian and Israeli settler traffic in the southern West Bank.

Activists then made their way to the entrance of Al-Khadr, a village on the outskirts of … Continue reading

Mousa Abu Maria, co-founder of PSP, is home recuperating as of tonight, January 26. It is believed that he was in fact hit by a ricochet bullet, which did not fully penetrate his skull. He has shrapnel from the bullet remaining in his head but should make a full recovery. A piece of the bullet hit him just above his left eye, we do not yet know if his vision has been permanently damaged. Thank you to everyone for your calls and support.

PSP will be collecting donations for the Popular Committee of Beit Ommar, who are planning more demonstrations in the coming weeks in response to the attacks on … Continue reading