There is no possibility that Israel's Civil Administration will fairly and properly plan for Palestinians in Area C if they are not at the table when their fate is decided. By Rabbi Arik Ascherman Last Thursday, the bulldozers demolished Beit Arabiya, for the sixth time. On Wednesday, two homes were demolished in Dirat, a village that is appealing with Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR) to the High Court against discriminatory planning in Area C. Additional homes and structures were demolished over the past week in Al-Waya, A-Tur, Ein al Hilwe, Ibziq, Nabi Samuel, Hares and more. The only crime of…

The Defense Ministry and Civil Administration complained Tuesday that the thousands of faxes calling on the government to cancel the demolition of the Palestinian village are disrupting their work and threatened to get the police to stop the campaign.  Over 300 faxes were sent on Tuesday morning alone to the Defense Ministry offices as part of the "S.O.S. Susya"  campaign launched by several Israeli anti-occupation organizations to raise awareness and actively oppose the planned demolition of the small Palestinian village of Susya, in Area C of the southern West Bank. A simple click on the campaign's website automatically sends 5 faxes…

Over 500 Israelis and Palestinians from near and far gathered in Susya (southern West Bank) on Friday to protest plans by Israeli authorities to demolish the Palestinian village in its entirety. Despite being a peaceful and nonviolent demonstration, the army fired stun grenades, tear gas, and threatened to use "skunk" water. One protestor was injured in the head by a stun grenade and required stitches. Susya - located in Area C of the West Bank under full Israeli control - is under threat of destruction, following the June 7 interim injunction by the High Court of Justice to stop construction in the…

After having their homes destroyed by the State over 30 times in the last two years, the residents of al-Arakib can do little else but watch as a forest is built on the ruins of their homes.  The Jewish National Fund resumed cultivating land Monday morning in al-Arakib, an unrecognized Bedouin village in southern Israel which the quasi-governmental agency has earmarked for a large forestation project. A week ago, the families in the village got word that the JNF would return and asked for activists to come and support them. JNF equipment, escorted by heavy police presence, showed up Monday…

Some of you may have been following the campaign to thwart the eviction of the Sumarin family in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan by activists from Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity and Rabbis for Human Rights (both Israel and North America), reported on our site here. As part of the effort to raise awareness, a group of activists staged a protest in front of the Jewish National Fund building in Jerusalem on Monday in order to send the message that the JNF is being "held captive by the settlers," as they put it, since it continues to work to acquire and repossess land in…

Notes and Stories from the Olive Harvest: Palestinian farmers tell stories of intimidation, vandalism and violence from settler neighbors, as they attempt to harvest their olives. By Moriel Rothman Israeli settler violence against Palestinian farmers during the olive season is not an exception. It is the norm. It is the norm encouraged by the settler leadership, which, in turn is supported by the government. This violence ranges from the blows delivered from masked, rod-wielding youth accompanied by an armed guard in Jalud last week, to the violent mob outside of Anatot last month, to scores of instances of tree burning…

Dolev Rahat returns with experiences and impressions from the journey of destruction wrought by the Israeli Civil Administration at the Palestinian village of  Bir El Id, located in the South Hebron Hills By Dolev Rahat | Originally published by Rabbis for Human Rights On Monday, June 20th, 2011 the Israeli Civil Administration, accompanied by a private Israeli contracting company, destroyed the village of Chirbat Bir El Id, in the South Hebron Hills. During the course of one morning the forces demolished six residential structures and  tents, and one toilet structure. The forces also uprooted fruit and vegetable patches, and cut…

Last week I was at a dinner with the North American management of Rabbis for Human Rights. They met with some of the +972 Magazine bloggers. The conversation was mainly about the decline of Israeli democracy.  Yossi Gurvitz, Dimi Reider and others were very pessimistic about the survival of the Israeli democracy. They gave reports about the most recent bill placed on the Knesset agenda by the radical right politicians. The North American crowd was very curious and knowledgeable about the issues, but after an hour or so they asked if all of the bloggers were pessimistic. The bloggers admitted…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm95Wae10p4