The teacher and Popular Committee Member, Majde Mahmoud Za’aqiq is still imprisoned. Za’aqiq was arrested on August 20, 2011 as he was leaving Beit Ommar’s weekly unarmed demonstration. Israeli soldiers pulled Majde and a Spanish solidarity activist, out of their car and placed both under arrest. The accusation of throwing stones, was fabricated. No stones were thrown by any of the non-violent demonstrators.
Read Madje’s story here .

Za’aqiq has been detained for 3 month and is charged for one more month. This is part of the Israeli apartheid strategy to suppress the Palestinian non-violent peace activism. Madje was subjected to a bail of 5500 shekels … Continue reading

News:

New Bypass Road Planned on Beit Ommar and Shyoukh Land

More than 800 dumums of Beit Ommar and Shwoukh land will be taken by the Israelies for a 8km bypass road, starting from Gush Etzion. The settlers have already built a watchtower on a hilltop in the area – the first step to establish a new settlement. The road to the planned settlement on Halhoul land will go through Beit Ommar and Shwoukh land and join in on the route 60 by Halhoul.

Watch a documentary about the land grab here

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Popular Committee member still in prison.

Majde Mahmoud Za’aqiq has been detained in Israeli prison … Continue reading

On November 15th, 2011, six Palestinian activists were arrested for boarding Israeli settlement buses in the West Bank district of Ramallah. The activists, calling themselves the Freedom Riders, drew inspiration from the 1961 Freedom Rides in the United States, in which young black and white civil rights activists challenged the segregated transportation system across southern states.

Settler buses run by the companies Egged and Veolia, connect Israeli settlements which are built on stolen Palestinian land in the West Bank, and deemed illegal under International Law, with cities within Israel proper. Palestinians are not allowed to ride these buses, one of many separate … Continue reading

Thaer Ahamd Abu Hashem, a 23-year-old Palestinian resident of Beit Ommar was arrested by Israeli Forces on his way back from work at around 12:30pm on November 12th. Thaer was arrested by soldiers near the entrance of the village, near the military watchtower. The main road of Beit Ommar has been closed by the military since yesterday evening, and it has remained shut for almost 36 hours, preventing Palestinian vehicles from entering or leaving the village.

Thaer’s brother, Yousef Ahmad Halil Abu Hashem, was arrested from his home on October 11, 2011. Report here Yousef … Continue reading

At 2:30am on the morning of November 12, 2011, PSP activist Iyad al-Alami was arrested from his residence in Beit Ommar by Israeli Forces.

Iyad is 23-years-old, and is an active member of the National Committee in Beit Ommar, as well as the Palestine Solidarity Project. In recent years, Iyad has been arrested two times before. Eyewitnesses saw 5 jeeps of Israeli soldiers conduct the early morning raid. Iyad was seen blindfolded and handcuffed as he was being led to an army jeep.

Iyad is studying engineering at Hebron’s Polytechnic University. A … Continue reading