Unprecedented Solidarity Event in South Hebron Hills This Weekend

Over 70 Diaspora Jews, Israelis and allies are joining Palestinian residents of the South Hebron Hills to engage in building projects and action in solidarity with local Palestinian communities living under occupation. This is happening June 12th-13th.
 
In recent weeks, the entire village of Susya, a Palestinian village in the South Hebron Hills, was issued a demolition order and faces imminent demolition, leaving 350 Palestinians dispossessed of their land and homes.
 
A large group of allies and supporters has been invited to the South Hebron Hills to help to connect Palestinian communities in Firing Zone 918 by fixing transportation infrastructure, aiding in agricultural work and bearing witness to the reality in the South Hebron Hills. Diaspora Jews and other partners who are living in, and visiting Israel and Palestine, are answering the call to oppose the occupation and learn with Palestinian non-violent activists in the area. The two day action will include full days of physical work with community members and engaging education about life for Palestinians in the South Hebron Hills and nonviolent activism.
 
In the wake of Israel’s most recent election, with the reelection of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his direct statements which promise to maintain the status quo, a sense of urgency is growing, and a more assertive call for loud and vital Jewish opposition to the Occupation — approaching its fiftieth year — is on the rise.
 
That the participants are, in large part, from Jewish communities around the world makes this event unique. “As a Diaspora Jew living in Israel, I live between two worlds.” said Rena Oppenheimer, an organizer and participant in the action. “Prime Minister Netanyahu has suggested on multiple occasions that Israel represents us, but as a group we have found that we do not wish to be represented by unjust Israeli policies.” Oppenheimer continued, “We are identity holders with connections to this place, be they cultural, spiritual, familial, or historical. This connection makes us, in our own way, responsible for our communities’ institutional support for the occupation.”
 
“There is a growing call in Diaspora Jewish communities to actively oppose to the occupation,” said Karen Isaacs, one of the organizers of the action. She continued, “The occupation oppresses millions of Palestinians. It is also tearing Israel and our people apart. It’s time for us to stand up and end this injustice.”
 
For years, these isolated communities in the South Hebron Hills have been under constant threat from IDF and settler violence, lack access to basic resources, such as no direct access to water or electricity, and can be expelled from their homes at any moment. “The South Hebron Hills are a remote and inaccessible area in the West Bank facing discriminatory policies,” said Robin Levy, a member of All That’s Left: Anti Occupation Collective, one of the organizing groups. “These communities are not only representative of the general injustice facing Palestinians under occupation, but their isolation leaves them incredibly vulnerable. I feel that the sort of practical work we can do to help them is worthwhile.”
 
When asked why she felt compelled to participate, Shifra Sered, an Israeli-American in Tel Aviv for the year on a fellowship said, "If you're like me, and feel a connection to this place based on identity, and if you're like me and believe in human rights and civil rights, then you have a obligation to combine these two and help make a dent in the occupation. This injustice has to end. We are calling on our communities to join the work to end the occupation."
 
The action, part of a growing movement, is organized by All That’s Left Collective, in partnership with organizations including Ta’ayush, the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, and Palestinians living in the South Hebron Hills region. All That’s Left is a collective unequivocally opposed to the occupation and committed to building the diaspora angle of resistance. For more information, and to join the event, see their Facebook page: All That’s Left: Anti-Occupation Collective.
 
For background information on the South Hebron Hills
 
Media is welcome to join us. Contact organizers here:
 
Daniel Roth
adanielroth@gmail.com
052 832 8595
 
Elisheva Goldberg
shev.goldberg@gmail.com
050 570 8023

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