Today, March 30th, 2012, demonstrations took place all over Palestine commemorating Land Day. On March 30, 1976, thousands of Palestinians gathered to protest Israeli government plans to confiscate 60,000 dunams of Arab-owned land in the Galilee. Israeli forces killed six Palestinians that day, and wounded and jailed hundreds. Palestinians continue to mark this day to protest the ongoing expropriation of Palestinian land.

In Beit Ommar, a peaceful demonstration took place at the entrance of the town, which is located on Route 60. Before reaching the gates of the town, which were closed by the Israeli military to keep people from … Continue reading

BETHLEHEM -Israeli forces notified villagers near Bethlehem that their land will soon be confiscated, local residents said Wednesday.
Land owned by 40 families in Battir village – 148 dunums of vegetable, fruit and olive groves – is earmarked for confiscation, villagers said.

According to the notices received by villagers, the area is close to the train line to Jerusalem and next to the East Jerusalem settlement of Gilo, in which Israeli authorities approved the building of 1,100 new homes on Tuesday, sparking international condemnation.

The notification of the Israeli Ministry of Finance’s intention to purchase the lands said the acquisition was for military and security purposes.

Battir resident Nidal al-Zaghir said: the land confiscation “will be a great loss for the … Continue reading

RAMALLAH, West Bank—The Palestinian bid for United Nations statehood, whatever its outcome, is already helping reshape Palestinian attitudes to expect less of negotiations—which most feel have failed to deliver after nearly two decades—and embrace a more confrontational stance toward Israel.

That could mean challenging Israel using boycotts, demonstrations and international diplomatic forums more aggressively—ideas that are gaining currency among young Palestinians. In a year when peaceful demonstrations have radically altered the political landscape of the Arab world, they increasingly embrace notions of nonviolent resistance.

Still, many observers say that tensions are building in the Palestinian areas—especially in the West Bank, where Jewish settlements continue to grow and chafe against Palestinian communities. Even peaceful confrontations, they worry, could escalate and set off another … Continue reading

This past Saturday, Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists peacefully demonstrated in Al Walaja protesting the Israeli High Court’s decision to allow the construction of the separation barrier that would annex half of Al Walaja’s land to Israel.

Al Walaja is an agricultural village and most of the families there depend on these fields for their income. The annexation of Al Walaja land will therefore be devastating to its residents.

The demonstrators marched peacefully holding signs condemning the occupation and the apartheid system. Israeli soldiers presented a closed military zone order to the activists, but the order was outdated. They then presented a closed military zone order for August … Continue reading

Update All 15 detainees, including the 10 Palestinians who were held for 5 days in military prison have been released. At a hearing at Ofer prison for the 10 Palestinians in an unusual ruling, the judge admonished the Israeli police for arresting “non-violent” protesters.

video and photos from ActiveStills

On Sunday, March 28, approximately 200 Palestinians, Christians and Muslim supporters along with international and Israeli solidarity activists, marched from the center of Bethlehem towards the Gilo checkpoint, a massive terminal checkpoint in the Annexation Wall dividing Bethlehem from Jerusalem. The demonstrators were demanding access to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, where Christians traditionally hold a procession on the Sunday before Easter.

The demonstrators successfully and non-violently crossed the checkpoint by overwhelming the … 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

Hundreds of residents of Betlehem and surrounding villages, including a large contingent from Beit Ommar, were joined by International and Israeli activists as they marched towards the Annexation Wall that cuts deep into the land of Betlehem, near Rachel’s Tomb. Local clergymen gave speeches about the significance of Betlehem in the wider Palestinian cause and called particularly on the international Christian community to support Palestinians under occupation and called for the removal of Walls from their land and hearts. The demonstration was organized by a wide coalition of groups in Betlehem, including Christian congregations, prisoner associations, and other social and welfare groups. The speakers emphasized unity and the commonalities between … Continue reading

Palestine News Network: for the original article click here

Bethlehem / Najib Farrag – Dozens of Palestinian journalists demonstrated on Wednesday morning at Bethlehem’s Church of Nativity in protest of the Israeli arrest of journalist Hassan Abdel Jawad.

The 53 year old is a member of the board of the Palestinian Journalists Union and also a local newspaper correspondent. Abdel Jawad is currently being held in the Israeli military prison Ofar, built on Ramallah lands.

His arrest came when six members of the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine political party were blindfolded, bound and taken away on Monday morning.

Among the demonstrators this morning was Bethlehem Mayor Dr. Victor Batarsa, several police officials, and Palestinian Legislative Council member, Issa … Continue reading

In a demonstration yesterday orchestrated by the Popular Committee against the Wall in Betlehem and Mubadara movement, led by Mustafa Barghouti, protesters marched against the Annexation Wall in the city of Betlehem. The march began after a regional meeting in the International Center of Betlehem and went directly to a section of the Wall in which a tower stands manned with Israeli Occupation Force soldiers. Demonstrators convened at this portion of the wall, chanted, and many men beat their fists against the Wall in what became an emotionally charged protest against the 8-meter tall Wall which snakes through the streets of Betlehem in order to annex Rachel’s Tomb to the Israeli … Continue reading

Spend any time in Occupied Palestine and you will hear countless stories of how families are divided by various aspects of the Israeli Occupation of Palestine. One such story is that of the Al-Hreimi family, grandfather Yasin, father Jalal, and daughter Samaher Al-Hreimi.

Yasin Hreimi was one of twenty six Palestinians exiled to Gaza as part of a deal brokered between Israelis and Palestinians at the end of a month long Israeli seige of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in 2002. Nearly 200 Palestinian men, women, and children sought refuge in the Church of the Nativity during this seige. The seige was part of a much larger Israeli offensive … Continue reading