Bil'in
The village of Bil’in's land began to be annexed in the 1980's by an
illegal Jewish-only settlement nearby. In 2005, the Wall began to be
constructed directly through the lands of the Palestinian farmers of
Bil’in. Since 2005, Bil'in has been organizing direct actions and weekly
demonstrations, gaining attention of the international community with
their creativity and perseverance. The village also holds annual
conferences, providing a forum to discuss popular struggle strategies.
Since 2005, two residents have been killed from Israeli fire during
demonstrations. Thanks to the popular mobilization and legal struggle
undertaken by Bil’in inhabitants, in 2007, the Israeli High Court ruled
that the route of the Wall be moved back. The implemented ruling in was
implemented in 2011.
More about Bil’in struggle: Watch the Movie Five Broken Cameras (with
English subtitles)
Al-Ma'asara
Since 2006, Al-Ma'asara has held weekly demonstrations to protest
against the Wall, encroaching settlements, and the Occupation in
general. As the protests in the South of Bethlehem continued with
growing support, the Army has launched a wave of repression hoping to
squelch the popular struggle. Members of the Popular Committee faced
explicit harassment and threats. Since the protest began, tens were
arrested. In addition, the village's Popular Committee organizes summer
camps, olive tree planting, workshops for youth and women, and capacity-
building trainings.
Nabi Saleh
Nabi Saleh has endured decades of land grabs by the nearby illegal
settlement but in 2009, Israeli settlers took over the village's water
spring. This sparked continuing weekly demonstrations, unique for the
great role women play in them. Israel has since declared the village a
Closed Military Zone and military night raids and arrests have become
common. Since 2009, two residents have been killed, countless injuries
have been caused by Israeli fire and over 100 protesters (including
minors) were arrested. Bassem and Naji Tamimi, protest leaders in the
village, have been arrested a number of times and were recognized by the
European Union as Human Rights Defenders.
Ni'lin
As a result of the Wall and land annexations, Ni'lin is only 56% of its
original size. Israel began the construction of the Wall in Ni'lin in
2004 and continued despite an Israeli court order temporarily halting
construction. The Ni'lin committee launched a protest campaign,
including demonstrations, strikes, and direct actions. Since 2008, five
Ni'lin residents have been killed by Israeli fire, including two
children, dozens of injuries and over 100 residents, including minors,
arrested.
Al-Walaja
Al-Walaja village located south of Jerusalem and West of Bethlehem, held
protests and rallies in the face of ongoing land confiscation. In 1967,
roughly half the village was annexed by Israel and included in the
Jerusalem municipal area. The village has been facing aggressive policy
of land confiscation for the construction surrounding of Israeli
settlements, military bases, and bypass roads to link the settlements to
each other and most recently separation wall. Al-Walaja protesters also
face the brutal repression of Israeli army. Dozens were injured and
arrested during the protests.
More about Al-Walaja: Al Haq – Al-Walaja, the Impact of the
Annexation Wall (Field Visit Video)
Kufer Qaddum
Kufer Qaddum has been holding weekly demonstrations since 2011 in
protest of ongoing land-grabs by the adjacent Jewish-only settlement and
in demand that their main road be reopened. The road was sealed by the
Israeli army at the beginning of the second Intifada. Protesters are
faced by ever increasing levels of military violence, including assaults
on the use of a military assault dog. About 100 of residents were
arrested during the protests or on army night raids.
The Jordan Valley
The Jordan Valley is home to nearly 60,000 Palestinians. Because 87% of
the land is designated as ‘Area C’, it is off limits to Palestinian use
because of the lack of permits from the Israeli authorities for homes,
schools, roads or water infrastructures. Dozens of checkpoints are
separating the valley from the rest of the West Bank, rendering
Palestinian access to public services such as quality health services
particularly difficult. In 2011, Israeli authorities demolished over 200
Palestinian-owned structures in the area, displacing some 430 people and
affecting the livelihoods of another 1,200. Thousands of Palestinians in
the area are still at risk of forced displacement.
In response to the oppression imposed by the Israeli occupation, the
Jordan Valley Solidarity movement is defending Palestinian existence in
the area through building and renovating schools in Palestinian
communities deprived of the right to education by the Israeli
occupation, organizing collective actions against land and water
resources capture by the settlers and army, and documenting the
violations perpetrated by the Israeli settler colonial system and
publishing it in five international languages.
Masafer Yatta
Masafer Yatta is an area in the South Hebron Hills of the West Bank,
which is home to twelve Palestinian villages totaling about 2,800
residents. The area is spread out over about 35,000 dunam of land, where
agricultural communities have lived for generations. In opposition to
international law, which prohibits the expulsion of a population from
its land and the use of occupied land for military training, the Israeli
army declared the area Firing Zone 918, in the early 1980s, in order to
dispossess Palestinians from their homes and strengthen Israeli
settlements in the area. Since this declaration, residents have lived
under the daily threat of demolitions, evictions, and dispossession.
Families in Masafer Yatta are denied access to their land, roads,
sources of water, schools, medical services, and hospitals. This is in
addition to nearly daily violence from settlers in the region.
Masafer Yatta inhabitants have been struggling through popular
mobilization and legal means against the declaration of the firing zone,
until May 4th 2022 when the Israeli High Court issued its final decision
in the decades-long case, rejecting the residents’ petition and giving
the army the green light to forcibly evict these communities at a
moment’s notice. If the Israeli army moves ahead with the eviction it
will be one of the largest expulsions carried out by the State of Israel
in recent decades, an alarming precedent that could lead to further
expulsions across the West Bank, and a further escalation of Israel’s
policies of annexation and Apartheid.
