13 March 2024 | International Solidarity Movement | Masafer Yatta
Israeli soldiers arresting a Palestinian woman. @ISM
Today in Susiya (Masafer Yatta), on the third day in Ramadan, a large number of IOF soldiers and armed settlers arrested a Palestinian woman and an Israeli activist, shot live ammunition in the air and pointed guns to prevent documentation.
The IOF and settlers came and arrested the woman while she was picking akkoub in a place where the army said it is legal to do so.
As Israeli and international activists arrived to observe and document, an Israeli activist got arrested and handcuffed for filming. Eleven armed soldiers and settlers guarded the area of the two detained and started to point guns and shoot live ammunition in the air to force the rest of the activists away from the area and prevent them from filming. IOF threatened to detain anyone who would get nearer calling their situation an “operation”.
IOF arresting an Israeli activist. @ISM
After keeping the detained for a long time on the ground in the burning sun, they took both the Palestinian woman and the Israeli activist in a big white van and drove off. A few hours later, the woman was released and the Israeli activist taken to a police station.
The IOF brought in seven vehicles including a green army jeep, a police jeep and four vans and a large number of soldiers and police for the “operation”.
A large amount of soldiers and military vehicles were present at the scene. @ISM
The palestinian woman was picking Akkoub, a wild plant that Palestinians have been picking and using for cooking for decades. Akkoub is amongst the wild plants and herbs that the occupation force has made illegal for Palestinian to harvest under false accusations of over-harvesting; yet another fraction of the ethnic cleansing of all aspects of Palestinian life, culture and history.
22nd July, 2015 | Popular Struggle Coordination Committee | Ramallah, Occupied Palestine New Standards for US Foreign Policy on Israel?
U.S. State Department Urges Israel to refrain from demolishing Palestinian village, Susiya in the West Bank. Fears a deterioration in standard of policy of indigenous displacement.
In a US State Department press briefing, last week, John Kirby specifically referred to Israel’s intent to demolish over half the indigenous Palestinian village, Susiya, in the West Bank. “We strongly urge the Israeli authorities to refrain from carrying out any demolitions in the village.” Kirby said, warning that “Demolition of this Palestinian village or of parts of it, and evictions of Palestinians from their homes, would be harmful and provocative.”
“Our continuous battle to support the struggle of the people of the village of Susiya has been going on for years accompanied with local and international campaigns under the slogan “Save Susiya from Demolition and Eviction.” Says Yasser Saleh of the Popular Struggle Coordination committee (PSCC), “we invite everybody to stand with us in this campaign either by attending the village of Susiya and to resist the demolition with it’s people, who are under the threat of eviction at any given moment,or by protesting at Israeli embassies in your countries and raising awareness about Susiya and Palestine.”
Susiya, which has been fighting a 20-year legal battle of survival with the state of Israel, is not the only Palestinian village under Israeli military control. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that there are Over 11,000 outstanding demolition orders against Palestinian structures in Area C of the West Bank, which covers over 60 percent of the West Bank. The lives of approximately 300,000 indigenous Palestinians are impacted. These orders target the most impoverished and vulnerable populations, who are also exposed to daily attacks by Israeli settlers and the army itself, with very little possibility of redress.
Signalling new US approach to the facts on the ground, Kirby added that “Such actions have an impact beyond those individuals and families who are evicted” and stated that the US State department is “concerned that the demolition of this village may worsen the atmosphere for a peaceful resolution and would set a damaging standard for displacement and land confiscation particularly given settlement-related activity in the area.”
The European Union foreign ministers have added their voice to the growing concern over Israel’s policy in the occupied West Bank, yesterday, in its latest statement on “The Middle East Peace Process”, stating that “ The EU will continue to closely monitor developments on the ground and their broader implications”, specifically calling for a “halt [to] plans for forced transfer of population and demolition of Palestinian housing and infrastructure in the Susiya and Abu Nwar communities.”
Saleh welcomes the US State Department and EU statements, but maintains that words are not enough and hopes to see action being taken. “The PSCC appreciates the statements made by the US state department and the European Union. We invite them to take concrete steps to put pressure on the occupying regime to prevent applying it’s policies and procedures against the Palestinians in general, and against the eviction and demolition of the village of Susiya in particular.”
For more information:
pscc.media@gmail.com
052- 5339054
Please send the following 2 letters (below). One to EU trade officials (addresses below the letter) and one for Israeli embassies (please make sure to change the name according to location).
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EMAIL TO EU TRADE OFFICIALS
Dear _________
I am writing to you with an urgent appeal concerning a Palestinian village in the Israeli occupied West Bank. This village is called Susiya and it is had already been displaced once to make room for an Israeli settlement. Now it is under imminent threat of being destroyed again. The Israeli military has just informed the residents of Susiya that they will start demolishing buildings after the end of Ramadan in a few days.
For more on the continued harassment of the people of Susya by Israeli settlers and military see http://rhr.org.il/eng/save-susya/ http://972mag.com/idf-maps-village-of-susya-as-forced-displacement-looms/106584/
1) Do not let Israeli settlements gain from plunder and restrict the sale of all Israeli settlement products in Europe. In particular bar the importation of Carmel Wines to Europe.
2) Contact the Israeli embassy and demand that the Israeli government cancel its plans to destroy Susiya for the second time.
I am writing to you with an urgent appeal concerning a Palestinian village in the West Bank. This village is called Susiya and it is had already been displaced once to make room for an Israeli settlement. Now it is under imminent threat of being destroyed again. The Israeli military has just informed the residents of Susiya that they will start demolishing buildings after the end of Ramadan, in a few days.
To forcefully evict an entire village is a cruel and illegal act that is about to be repeated by the Israeli military. One cannot escape the conclusion that this policy is a form of systematic discrimination directed at the Palestinians living under Israeli military control. Such an act is so offensive that it implicated those who take part in it as well as those who only let it happen. We urge you to not let this happen and stop the planned demolition of Susiya.
Sincerely ______________
—
-Africa
Angola Raphael Singer consular@luanda.mfa.gov.il
Cameroon info@yaounde.mfa.gov.il
Ethiopia Belaynesh Zevadia embassy@addisababa.mfa.gov.il
Nigeria Uriel Palti info@abuja.mfa.gov.il
Sengal Eli Ben Tura info@dakar.mfa.gov.il
Pretoria Arthur Lank consular@pretoria.mfa.gov.il
Kenya Yahel Vilan info@nairobi.mfa.gov.il
Ghana Sharon Bor-li
amb-sec@accra.mfa.gov.il
-Asia
-China
• Beijing Matan Vilnai info@beijing.mfa.gov.il
• Shanghai Jackie Eldan consulgen-assist@shanghai.mfa.gov.il
• Hong Kong Sagi Karni info@hongkong.mfa.gov.il
• Guangzhou Yaacov Avrahamy info@guangzhou.mfa.gov.il
-India
New Delhi Daniel Carmon consular2@newdelhi.mfa.gov.il
Mumbai David Akov info@mumbai.mfa.gov.il
Tokyo Ruth Kahanoff information@tokyo.mfa.gov.il
Amman cons-sec@amman.mfa.gov.il
Myanmar Daniel Zohar Zonshine info@yangon.mfa.gov.il
Nepal Yaron Mayer info@kathmandu.mfa.gov.il
Philippines Effie Ben Matityau info@manila.mfa.gov.il
Singapore Yael Rubinstein info@singapore.mfa.gov.il
Seoul Uri Gutman info@seoul.mfa.gov.il
Taipei Simona Halperin press@taipei.org.il
Bangkok Simon Roded info@bangkok.mfa.gov.il
Vietnam Meirav Eilon Shahar info@hanoi.mfa.gov.il
-Central America
Costa Rica Abraham Haddad consular1@sanjose.mfa.gov.il
Dominican Republic Bahij Mansour Info@santodomingo.mfa.gov.il
El Salvador Oren Bar El info@sansalvador.mfa.gov.il
Guatemala Moshe Bachar sec-ambassador@guatemala.mfa.gov.il
Mexico Rodica Radian Gordon info@mexico.mfa.gov.il
Panama Alexander Galilee info@panama.mfa.gov.il
-Euro-Asia
Azerbaijan Rafael Harpaz info@baku.mfa.gov.il
Croatia Zina Kalay Kleitman info@zagreb.mfa.gov.il
Georgia Yuval Fuchs press@tbilisi.mfa.gov.il
Kazakhstan Eliyahu Tasman info@astana.mfa.gov.il
-Russia
Moscow Olga Words info@tehila.gov.il
St. Petersberg Michael Lotem info@spb.mfa.gov.il
Serbia Yossef Levy info@belgrade.mfa.gov.il
Ukraine Eliab Byelotserkovski info@kiev.mfa.gov.il
Uzbekistan Carmela Shamir operator@tashkent.mfa.gov.il
-Europe
Mission to UN, Geneva, Eviatar Manor mission-israel@geneva.mfa.gov.il
Mission to European Union, Brussels David Walzer
Austria Zvi Heifetz info-sec@vienna.mfa.gov.il
Bulgaria Shaul Kamisa Raz info@sofia.mfa.gov.il
Cyprus Maria Hadjigeorgiou ambass-sec@nicosia.mfa.gov.il
Prague Gary Koren info@prague.mfa.gov.il
Copenhagen Barukh Binah info@copenhagen.mfa.gov.il
London Daniel Taub info@london.mfa.gov.il
Finland Dan Ashbel info@helsinki.mfa.gov.il
-France
Paris Yossi Gal consul-sec@paris.mfa.gov.il
Marseille Barnea Hassid consulgeneral-sec@marseille.mfa.gov.il
-Germany
Berlin Yakov Hadas-Handelsman botschaft@israel.de
Munich Dan Shaham consul-sec@munich.mfa.gov.il
Greece Irit Ben-Abba pr@athens.mfa.gov.il
Hungary Izrael Allam info@budapest.mfa.gov.il
Ireland Boaz Modai info@dublin.mfa.gov.il
Italy Naor Gilon cons4@roma.mfa.gov.il
Latvia Hagit Ben-Yaakov press@riga.mfa.gov.il
Netherlands Haim Divon consular@hague.mfa.gov.il
Norway Raphael Schutz consular@oslo.mfa.gov.il
Poland, Anna Azari, publicaffairs@warsaw.mfa.gov.il
Portugal Tzipora Rimon israelmb@lisbon.mfa.gov.il
Romania Dan Ben-Eliezer info@bucharest.mfa.gov.il
Slovakia Alexander Ben-Zvi cao-sec@bratislava.mfa.gov.il
Spain Alon Bar info@madrid.mfa.gov.il
Sweden Isaac Bachman info@stockholm.mfa.gov.il
Switzerland Yigal B. Caspi press@bern.mfa.gov.il
Vatican Zion Evrony info@holysee@.mfa.gov.il
-Turkey
Ankara Amira Oron info@ankara.mfa.gov.il
Istanbul Shai Cohen info@istanbul.mfa.gov.il
-North America
-Canada
Ottawa Rafael Barak info@ottawa.mfa.gov.il
Toronto DJ Schneeweiss consular1@toronto.mfa.gov.il
Montreal Ziv Nevo Kulman info@montreal.mfa.gov.il
-USA
Washington D.C. Ron Dermer info@washington.mfa.gov.il
Pacific Northwest San Francisco Andy David Consulardep@SanFrancisco.mfa.gov.il
Los Angeles David Siegel consular-assist@losangeles.mfa.gov.il
Florida and Puerto Rico in Miami Chaim Shacham concal.sec@miami.mfa.gov.il
Atlanta Ofer Aviran info@atlanta.mfa.gov.il
Mid-Atlantic Region Yaron Sideman information@philadelphia.mfa.gov.il
New York Ido Aharoni info@newyork.mfa.gov.il
New England Yehuda Yaakov info@boston.mfa.gov.il
Midwest Roey Gilad contactus@chicago.mfa.gov.il
Houston Eitan Levon concal.sec@houston.mfa.gov.il
-Oceania
Australia Shmuel Ben-Shmuel info@canberra.mfa.gov.i
New Zealand Yosef Livne info@wellington.mfa.gov.il
-South America
Argentina Dorit Shavit info@buenosaires.mfa.gov.il
-Brazil
Sau Paulo Yoel Barnea info@saopaulo.mfa.gov.il
Brasilia Dr. Reda Mansour info@brasilia.mfa.gov.il
Chile Rafael Eldad info@santiago.mfa.gov.il
Colombia Marco Sermoneta info@bogota.mfa.gov.il
Ecuador Eliyahu Yerusalmi info@quito.mfa.gov.il
Peru Ehud Moshe Eitam info@lima.mfa.gov.il
Uruguay Nina Ben-Ami info@montevideo.mfa.gov.il
11th May 2015 | Operation Dove | At Tuwani, South Hebron Hills, Occupied Palestine
POPULAR STRUGGLE COORDINATION COMMITTEE AND POPULAR STRUGGLE COMMITTEE OF SOUTH HEBRON HILLS CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE IN SUSIYA VILLAGE
Susiya village, South Hebron Hills
Where: Susiya Village, South Hebron Hills
When: From now, permanently
What: Popular Struggle Coordination Committee and Popular Struggle committee of South Hebron Hills has just opened the “Solidarity tent” and invites you all to bring your solidarity and your support in order to save Susiya village from the eviction plan. Internationals are also invited to document and to spread the information about the situation in Susiya.
Why: In 1986 the village of Susiya was declared archeological site, its land expropriated and inhabitants were evicted and forced to move in their nearby agricultural land where on 2012, Israel’s Civil Administration distributed demolition orders to over 50 temporary structures. In 2014 the residents of Susiya, represented by Rabbis for Human Rights, sued for a request to freeze the demolition order’s implementation. In 2015, on May 5, the Israeli High Court rejected that request, allowing the demolition of the village.
Now the threat to be evicted and deported again, becomes more imminent for the inhabitants of Susiya. Please come to participate at the initiative.
22nd November 2014 | Operation Dove | Susiya, Occupied Palestine
On November 20th, the Israeli forces seized a tractor, its truck, four water tanks and three tanks’ bases from the Palestinian village of Susiya.
Photo by Operation Dove
In the early morning DCO [District Coordination Office] officers approached the Palestinian village to take pictures of the ongoing works to install four new water tanks. In the early afternoon DCO officers returned with Israeli army, police, two trucks, one of which was equipped with a mechanical arm.
The tractor and its truck, that carried water cisterns and their bases, were seized with the accusation of being used for illegal works, since Palestinians didn’t have permissions to install new water tanks. Tanks and bases were seized without any previous issued demolition order under the pretext that they were not yet installed on the ground.
Photo by Operation Dove
Water tanks were geared of filters to provide drinkable water and were donated to the Palestinian village because of the lack of drinkable water that effects all the South Hebron Hills area.
The Palestinian village of Susiya is located in Area C, under Israeli military and civil administration, and it is surrounded by the Israeli settlement of Suseya, the outpost of Suseya’s Ancient Synagogue and the military base of Suseya North. Around the settlement and the military base there are 26 wells and water cisterns that Palestinians are forbidden to use even if they are on Palestinian private proprieties. Even more, the CO doesn’t allow Palestinian residents of Susiya to connect to Israeli Makorot Company’s water pipes that run right through the Palestinian village and bring water from the settlement of Suseya to the outpost of the Ancient Synagogue.
Palestinian residents of Susiya pay 35 NIS per cubic meter of tanked water, six times more than the nearby settlement, which is served by the network, and Palestinian residents spend up to 1/3 of their income on water. Water consumption of Palestinians in Susiya is 28 liters/capita/day, significantly less than the 70 l/c/d consumed by an average Palestinian and well below the World Health Organization standard of 100 l/c/d. (source OCHA OPT)
The Palestinian inhabitants of Susiya are struggling through non-violent popular resistance in order to gain the right to access their own lands and to live a dignified life.
Operation Dove has maintained an international presence in At Tuwani and the South Hebron Hills since 2004.
