September 30 th. 2011: PSP joined residents of Yatta on a land demonstration against the Israeli occupation, continuos expropriation of Palestinian land, and house demolitions.

Yatta with surrounding areas have a population of approximately 120 000 inhabitants. Many of the inhabitants live in small villages in remote areas.

The demonstrators walked towards the place where a couple of settler families have established themselves with miliary guard of no less than thirty soldiers.

The procession passed onto the shut down road, and walked up the hill to the place where five houses repeatedly … Continue reading

Friday September 30. : Residents of Beit Ommar demonstrated against recent received land confiscation orders. 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 watch tower on a hill top 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.

The demonstrators in Beit Ommar marched from … Continue reading

This week PSP began its annual farmer accompaniment program. Around dawn, international activists joined Beit Ommar farmers in harvesting grapes on land close to the illegal settlement of Kfar Etzion. In a busy but sucessful morning, volunteers assisted the famrers in picking and packing over fifty crates of grapes, which will be sold through the local farmers’ market.

Such accompaniments are neccessary as Beit Ommar farmers face the constant threat of harassment and violence from setllers and the Israeli military. Settlers regularly attack famrers trying to work in fields close to the five … Continue reading

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1) WHY ARE YOU INSISTING ON GOING TO THE UN IN SEPTEMBER?
Palestinians want to go to the UN in order to get international recognition for their future – a Palestinian State – and to legitimize Palestinian claims for freedom, independence and statehood.

2) WILL THE UN HELP IN MATERIALIZING THOSE GOALS?
The majority of countries in the world support Palestinian statehood. The goal is to abolish the four and half decades of Israeli occupation in the Palestinian territories. Gaining staehood would open open up several new avenues for Palestine to pursue and end to the occupation and denial of human rights, such as the ICJ.

3) CAN YOU IDENTIFY THOSE … Continue reading

This morning at around 7.30 am, Beit Ommar farmers Ali Thalji, aged 70, and his son Ahmed, 40, were harassed by a group of Israeli soldiers as they tended to their sheep on fields in Safa, Beit Ommar.

The group of soldiers approached from the direction of the illegal settlement of Bat Ayn, telling Ali and Ahmed that the land they were on – their own fields – had been appropriated by the Israeli State, and repeatedly told them to leave the area.

After approximately half an hour, the soldiers left without any major incidents, but it is a development of great … Continue reading

This morning, Beit Ommar farmers arrived at their lands to discover that large areas of grape vines had been attacked by settlers from the illegal settlement of Karmei Tsur. The farmers immediately notified Mahmoud Ahmad Coql, who owns the destroyed fields.

In total, the settlers severed two dunums (two thousand square meters) of Mahmoud’s grape vines in fields near the illegal Karmei Tsur settlement.

Israeli authorities and the Israeli civilian police – upon seeing a number of Palestinians, press, and international activists – soon arrived on the scene accompanied by roughly twenty-five soldiers.

The shock of seeing so much of his work and livelihood destroyed overwhelmed Mahmoud, and … Continue reading

Settlers from Bat Ayin settlement have attempted to seize more land belonging to the village of Saffa.

This week, it was discovered that settlers had begun construction of a building foundation on the land of local farmer Thelgy Addy. Stones have been piled on top of one another forming what appears to be the bases of walls, and one of the stones was marked with a green symbol. Around the stones, the settlers had posted stakes at a distance of 500 meters.

When this construction was discovered, the stakes were pulled up in order to combat the theft of more land. Settlers will often begin taking over more land by … Continue reading

Demonstrators were assaulted in Beit Ommar today, as Israeli military forces attacked the village’s demonstration against the recent rapid expansion of building work in the illegal Karmei Tsur settlement.

Fifty demonstrators, consisting of local Palestinians, Israelis, and international solidarity activists marched from the village and attempted to protest at the nearby settlement fence. The protest was met by dozens of Israeli soldiers who prevented the Palestinians from marching across their own land. The soldiers proceeded to push numerous demonstrators to the ground. One Israeli had his ID taken by the soldiers and was later arrested, while another Israeli activist was detained. The soldiers then declared the area a Closed Military Zone, … Continue reading

On Saturday June 25, about 50 Palestinian, Israeli and international activists gathered in Beit Ommar to demonstrate against the Israeli Karmei Tsur settlement, which has annexed hundreds of dunams of Palestinian land. As demonstrators attempted to enter land belonging to Beit Ommar farmers, Israeli soldiers announced that the area was a closed military zone and said they would not allow anyone to pass. Several Palestinians and internationals then attempted to circumvent the military blockade. At this point, at least 6 soldiers assaulted Mohammed G., a 22 year old Palestinian man from Surif. During attempts to rescue him from the attacks, two international activists were also arrested. … Continue reading

Demonstrations began again this week in Deir Qaddis, a small town in the Ramallah district, against the expansion of the Nili settlement onto village land. Residents, joined by Palestinian activists from nearby Ni’lin and Budrus, as well as Israeli and international solidarity activists, have successfully stopped the bulldozers destroying village lands in successive demonstrations. On Wednesday, June 15, two residents, aged 22 and 24 were shot with live ammunition by Israeli forces who invaded the village following protesters retreating after having stopped the bulldozers for nearly an hour. While a small group of residents and activists sat in front of a bulldozer, Mohammed Amireh, member of … Continue reading