In response to the Israeli government's plans to build 4,000 housing units for Jewish settlers in the E1 area, Palestinians set up a new tent village called Bab Al-Shams (Gate of the Sun). Police attempts to dismantle the new village were thwarted by a temporary warrant issued by the High Court of Justice. Some 250 Palestinians, organized in part by the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee and activists from several villages in struggle against the wall and settlements, arrived at the area known by Israel as E1 early this morning, and started work on their new village. Activists state that the…

In spite of the headlines, the international media attention, and the flow of pictures showing celebrating Palestinians waving flags – the UN resolution sparked little excitement or joy in the streets of Ramallah, which is still surrounded by walls and settlements on all sides. If anything, it was an evening of sadness and despair. Traveling to Ramallah for the late-night public screening of Palestine's UN bid, I was not expecting much. Journalists who spent the day in the West Bank had already reported that very little was going on, that PA sponsored rallies had attracted only few people in the…

Palestinian demonstrators and their supporters have clashed with Israeli soldiers at a weekly gathering in the village of Bil’in in the West Bank. It happened as the demonstrators approached a portion of the controversial separation barrier built by Israel. Soldiers fired back with tear gas after demonstrators drove a bulldozer into part of the barrier. ------------------ Read more on the context of the protest in Noam Sheizaf's report from in Bil'in here.

Abdullah Abu Rahmah, the unarmed struggle leader from Bil'in who was put in prison by Israel for his political actions, and is now kept there even though he finished serving his sentence, has published a public letter for the International Human Rights Day. No matter what you think of the conflict and its desired solution, this is a text worth reading. I often wonder what Israeli leaders think they will achieve if they succeed in their goal of suppressing the Palestinian popular struggle? Is it possible that they believe that our people can sit quietly and watch as our land…