Early Thursday morning, at approximately 2:00am, Israeli forces from the Gush Etzion military base came to the homes of brothers and National Committee members Yousef and Mousa Abu Maria. Both are also co-founders of the Palestine Solidarity Project.
Mousa, whose wife and baby girl–both Israeli citizens–were visiting family, was forced outside while his home was searched. 3 computers belonging to the Palestine Solidarity Project were taken. Yousef, father of 10 year-old Reem, 4 year-old Obay, and 1 month-old Della’, was also taken from his home in the middle of the night.
Both were held outside in freezing temperatures in Gush Etzion military base for over 5 hours; neither were allowed to put on proper shoes or clothing and repeated … Continue reading

The Bat Ayn settlement was established in the early 1990s by a breakaway group from the nearby Gush Etzion settlement. Bat Ayn was established under the guidance of the controversial Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburg. Rabbi Ginsburg has been quoted in the New York Times as stating that “any trial based on the assumption that Jews and goyim [non-Jewish people] are equal is a total travesty of justice”. Rabbi Ginsburg also praised the actions of Baruch Goldstein who in 1994 murdered 29 people and wounded more than 125 people who were praying in a mosque in Hebron.

Bet Ayn is one of over 200 Israeli settlements within the … Continue reading

13 Israeli, international and Palestinian activists were arrested at 10 am this morning while accompanying farmers to their land in the Saffa region of Beit Ommar. A group of nearly 30 activists accompanied Sheik Mohammad Aady to his land near the Bat Ayn settlement, which is marked for annexation by the Israeli military. After working on the land for half an hour, soldiers emerged from the Bat Ayn settlement and surrounding hills and detained the group.

A number of sound bombs were shot at those working on the land before the arrests. Amongst those arrested was Biet Ommar National Committee member and cameraman Mohammed Ayyad. As of … Continue reading

Last night settlers from the Bat Ayn settlement set fire to 70 olive trees in the Saffa region of Beit Ommar. The trees belonged to the Thalji Aady family, who have been subject to frequent settler violence and military harassment. The fire was lit around 9:30 pm, and burned for 3 hours before fire trucks from the village were able to extinguish the flames. At 11:00 pm 3 military jeeps arrived and attempted to prevent villagers from extinguishing the fire, arresting 3 Palestinian youth in the process.

Settlers from the Bat Ayn settlement frequently destroy trees belonging to Palestinian farmers in Saffa, and several farmers … Continue reading

5 international activists were arrested this morning while accompanying farmers to their land in the Saffa region of Beit Ommar. For the third time this week a group of about 10 Palestinian and international activists accompanied Sheik Muhammad Aady to his land near the Bat Ayn settlement. The army has been preventing the farmers in Saffa from accessing the land, which is marked for annexation.

The volunteers worked for nearly an hour clearing the land before they were stopped by a group of soldiers. The soldiers informed the group that they were all under arrest, took the IDs of several of the activists, and escorted … Continue reading

Soldiers shot tear gas at farmers in Saffa today as they attempt to work their land near the Bat Ayn settlement. A group of about 30 Palestinian, international and Israeli activists accompanied Sheik Mohammad Aady to his land on the hillside opposite Bat Ayn, which has been marked for annexation by the settlement. The group marched to the land waving Palestinian flags and carrying signs. They worked for an hour, tilling the land and setting small fires to clear the brush.

Soldiers gathered at the top of the hill above the activists, and two jeeps parked on the road at the bottom … Continue reading

Farmers in the Saffa valley were prevented by the Israeli military from working on their land Tuesday morning. Ali Ahmed Thalj Aady and Hani Nimr Aady went out with their families to work on their land at 8 am, when they were stopped by a group of Israeli soldiers. The soldiers prevented them from working on the land, and detained them in the sun without water for 5 hours. The farmers were told that the land is “unregistered,” and that if they return they will be arrested.

The incident came on the heels of the arrest of 6 international activists this past Sunday as they accompanied farmers to their land in Saffa. The internationals were also told that they were … Continue reading

6 international solidarity activists were arrested this afternoon while accompanying farmers to their land in Saffa, near the illegal Bat Ayn settlement. A group of 8 international activists along with 3 Palestinian members of the Palestine Solidarity Project accompanied the Aady family to their land on the hillside opposite Bat Ayn, on the outskirts of the Palestinian village of Beit Ommar. The land is marked for annexation by the settlement, and is frequently subject to settler violence.

After three hours of work the group was preparing to leave when they were stopped by 4 soldiers. The soldiers informed the group that they were not allowed to leave the area, … Continue reading

On Sunday, October 3, 2010, farmers from Saffa, accompanied by international and Israeli solidarity activists, worked their lands near the illegal Israeli settlement of Bat Ayn. The Palestine Solidarity Project has organized a campaign in the Saffa Valley to support the farmers every Sunday, Monday, and Thursday over the next couple of months as they clear their lands in preparation for planting. Over the last several years, the farmers have been harassed by settlers from Bat Ayn or prevented from reaching their lands by the Israeli military.

This past Sunday, on the first day of the campaign, farmers cleared the land by burning and … Continue reading

On the morning of June 23rd, 2010 Jewish settlers rioted and attacked Palestinian property in the neighbourhood of Saffa, Beit Ommar. On the most recent example of the so-called ‘price tag’ policy, dozens of residents of the illegal settlement of Bat Ayn attempted to set fire to private Palestinian land before throwing stones and bottles at nearby houses.

Israeli soldiers began firing tear-gas canisters and stun grenades after awoken Saffa residents had gathered around dawn, lightly injuring a number of Palestinians. Members of the Beit Ommar National Committee and Palestine Solidarity Project arrived in Saffa shortly after and recorded the incident.

The more radical of Israel’s 500,000 settlers in the … Continue reading