March 2021

Sumud: Helping Palestinian communities stay on their land

Weekly visits to Humsa, March 2, 9, 14 & 16, to bring supplies and help the community survive with the constant demolitions and Army confiscation of supplies. On March 14, CfPeace activist brought 1500 liters of water to the Humsa community in the middle of the night (this way the army wouldn’t confiscate the shipment). This will allow the community access to regular water.

Jordan Valley Coalition, Accompaniment of shepherds in the villages of Farsiliya and the Southern Jordan Valley. When our activists walk with the Shepherds they are protected from settler and military aggression. CfP helped escort shepherds in the Jordan Valley near the villages of Dyuk, Hamra, Ein Hilwe, and Turmus Aya. During these escorts, CfP activists face regular harassment from settler-operated drones. The army has done nothing to protect the shepherds or our activists. In Hamra, settlers were pushing shepherds out of their grazing fields on a daily basis, so CFP activists have been accompanying them. The  activists’ presence has helped lower the level of aggression used by these settlers. We also appealed to human rights lawyer Itay Mack, to help the communities legally, when needed.

Solidarity visits to the village of Luban Al Sharkia, March 5 & 12, Palestinan and Israeli members of CFP organized solidarity visits following villagers harassment by nearby settlers. Abu Jamal, a resident of the village, has had his home ransacked every Friday by these settlers. In response, CfP installed metal doors to prevent unwanted entry or attack in Abu Jamal’s home. In the process, Israeli members of CfP engaged in meaningful dialogue with Palestinian residents in Luban, breaking social taboos. One activist recounts that “we were able to communicate with Palestinians who had opposed us and ended up appreciating our work. The discussion ended with a handshake and a plan for a future visit to the mayor’s office.”

Article written by our leadership in the Combatants for Peace “North Group” about the human rights violations in the Jordan Valley. The piece was distributed to European National leadership, asking them to put pressure on Israel to stop the human rights abuses and home demolitions.

Education & Advocacy

Fighting for Vaccine Rights, check out this video, made by the Alliance for Middle East Peace, about the work Combatants for Peace is doing, fighting or medical equality.

Haaretz Conference, March 4, Movement Coordinator, Jamil Qassas, participated in an online conference, organized on the topic, “Is Israel a Democracy?” Watch

Tour to Damoon March 5, CfP activists organized a tour for Israelis to the village of Damoon, in the North of Israel which was destroyed during the Nakba in 1948. Israeli education does not teach Palestinian history; these educational tours are an opportunity to educate the Israeli public about Palestinian history and the way in which the Nakba of 1948 still effects Palestinian communities today.

Tour for teachers of the Mechinot (pre-army) programs in the Jordan Valley. March 8, The teachers toured the Jordan Valley with Combatants for Peace activists who shared with them what life under occupation is life, and the discrimination faced by local Palestinians by Israeli settlers. The teachers met with local activists, lawyers and residents to better understand the conditions and situation in the Jordan Valley.

Workshop for Israeli Educators. March 12-14, in partnership with Breaking the Silence and Ir Amim, Combatants for Peace briefed about 20 Israeli educators in charge of HaChaluts pre-army trainings about the reality and the policies of occupation in the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) in the framework of a two-day workshop. The seminar included field visits, briefings delivered by peace activists and lots of instructive conversations in Combatants for Peace’s office in Beit Jala. All participants were thankful for what they considered as a truly eye-opener facts-based training session, and for the chance they had to reflect on educational tools and strategies to inform the Israeli youth about the injustice of occupation. A complementary online briefing is planned this week to cover the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Talk in Maine, March 14. With Maya Katz and Osama Elewat
Private event sponsored by Congregation Beth El via zoom in Bangor, Maine.

Discussion in an Israeli High Schools. On Tuesday March 16 we met with about 40 high school students in Jerusalem, at East Mediterranean International School. The students have been studying leading figures in political activism. We shared our stories with them and our commitment to transformation and non-violent civil resistance against the Israeli occupation. On March 14 activists met with students from the Bezalel Academy of Arts.

Talk in the Netherlands with Maters Students. March 18

Asking the Hard Questions: Preparing for the Joint Memorial. March 31, with Robi Damelin and Osama Elewat Watch the Recording

Making Peace Among those in Conflict. A conversation about the Joint Memorial Ceremony with spiritual teacher, Jack Kornfield. March 30 Watch the Recording

Live Stream Open Q&A Session. What makes the Joint Memorial Ceremony unique?March 16

Protests and Demonstrations

Pre-Election Protests, March 20. CfPeace activists marched with thousands of anti-Netanyahu protesters in Jerusalem for what was one of the largest demonstrations ever held near Balfour street. Over 20,000 people protested the Israeli government’s corrupt and violent policies three days ahead of the Israeli legislative elections. We, as CfP, reminded the crowd that the state of Israel cannot be considered democratic as long as the occupation of the Palestine, and apartheid policies toward Palestinians are maintained. Our slogans read: “Democracy or occupation”.

Protest outside of Ofer prison March 1, in solidarity with Palestinian nonviolence activist Sami Hureini who briefly appeared before the military court today. Sami Hureini was arrested in his home at 1am for participating in a peaceful protest against the shooting of Harun Abu Aram. Soldiers responded to the nonviolent demonstrations with sound grenades and tear gas. Harun Abu Aram was shot in the neck at short range while trying to stop soldiers from confiscating his electricity generator. He was left paralyzed and his family without electricity.

Protesting Home Evictions In the first week of March, two members of the Freedom School, the Internship program CfP runs for Israeli young adults, protested home evictions at Sheikh Jarah in East Jerusalem. Their Arabic teacher – Samira – is from one of the families being evicted.

Demonstration in Umm al-Fahm, March 12. CfP activists in the North joined a demonstration denouncing the absence of law enforcement by the Israeli police in Arab communities and recalling the right of Arab Israelis to live in safety like any citizen.

Balfour Demonstrations: Combatants activists continue to participate  in the anti-corruption protest happening in Israel every weekend.

Empowering Leaders

Youth Group. The Youth of Combatants for Peace held a meeting in Nablus, March 23. Their workshop was entitled “Networking Mechanisms between Youth and Youth Institutions in Palestine.” Ten young activists from northern West Bank met to discuss spreading the message of social action and nonviolent resistance to youth throughout Palestine. The Youth group met again on March 27th to welcome new activists from Jericho.

Workshop on Impact and Reporting. March 27.

February 2021

Sumud: Helping Palestinian communities stay on their land

Demanding vaccinations for Palestinians! Combatants for Peace sent letters demanding access to vaccines for Palestinians. This included a Letter to the World Health Organization (feb 9). Read an article about the letter. Sent by Attorney  Eitay Mack, Combatants for Peace lawyer and advocate. “The State of Israel renunciation of its obligations under international law to ensure the Covid-19 vaccination of the Palestinian population in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.” It also included letters directly to the heads of both Pfizer and Moderna (feb 24), and a letter directly to President Biden asking that he use USA aid funds to distribute vaccines to Palestinians (feb 28).

Rebuilding the village of Humsa: February 2-9, 16, 23 & 24. CfPeace activists made daily visits to Humsa in early February, along with the neighboring Palestinian communities that are being harassed by the Israeli army and settlers. Delegations of Minister Shtayyeh (a Minister in the Palestinian Authority) and a delegation of diplomats from the EU visited the community on February 4th. The diplomatic visit was arranged in partnership with the European Commission office in Jerusalem. Combatants activists continue rebuilding whenever the army comes and  destroys more shelters. We continue to bring supplies such as water, food, shoes, clothing, tents and sleeping bags, when the army confiscates tents and other materials.

Participation in a virtual court hearing, Feb 8. Palestinian residents from the villages of Al-Zawiya, Rafat and Deir Balut submitted  an objection in civil court protesting the expansion of an illegal quarry run by the German multinational Heidelberg Cement (Nahal Raba Quarry) on their land.  Watch

Combatants for Peace cut down an illegal apartheid fence built by settlers near the settlement Hemdat in the Jordan Valley. Feb 13. The fence was built by settlers and was a  torment for local Palestinian shepherds who traditionally roamed  the hills confiscated by the settlers, disrupting their ability to earn a living and feed their families. After recurring inquiries made by Combatants for Peace to the Civil Administration were overlooked, activists took matters by their own hands and took down the fence. Read more: Against the apartheid fence, 13.2.2021 watch the video.

Jordan Valley Coalition. Activists walked with the shepherds from the villages  of Duyuk, Farsyia, Hamra and Ein el Hilwe and Nuema. We also returned to the village of Samra for the first time this week, after a year away due to Covid restrictions. When activists walk with the Shepherds we can protect them from the violence and abuse they experience from the local settlers and the military. On February 16, the army came and tried to scare us out of several villages – but we stayed all day in order to ensure the villagers safety. Our activists also joined Arik Asherman in defending a local Palestinian farm where settlers regularly bring their cows to destroy the crops.

Monitoring villages threatened by Demolition. Combatants for Peace activists regularly visit villages slated for demolition, to monitor the situation and see if there  are ways the movement can help. One of these solidarity visits took place Feb 8, in  the village of Yarza.

Israeli Education & International Advocacy

Meeting with Europeans: Swiss Diplomats on February 3 and young adults in Northern Ireland on February 6. We spoke about how we need the international community to put pressure on the Israeli government – and bring the voice of people who truly want a real, just peace for both peoples.

“Learning Peace” webinar with Israelis, on the systematic demolitions of Palestinian structures in the Jordan Valley. February 10. The talk had 75 participants  including two diplomats. Watch

CfP activists met with students from Landon Middle School of Maryland, as part of their history program. Feb 11. We spent an  hour speaking on the PL-IL conflict, how the cycle of violence is perpetuating and what it means to step away from it on a personal level. The students (around 20 young teens) touched on core issues, asking sensitive and thoughtful questions.

Educational Seminar with American young adults who had returned from Birthright tours to Israel. Feb 11. Organized by “Fuel for Truth.” The goal is giving these young adults an awareness of the  Palestinian experience, as Birthright tours do not include Palestinian voices.

Meeting with Mechinot Students. Feb 2. Combatants for Peace activists met with a group of Israeli teens before their time in the Military. None of the students had met a Palestinian before or heard his story.

Panel Discussion with  Machsom Watch. Feb 14. CfP activist, Yair, participated in a panel discussion about the demolitions happening in the South Hebron Hills, specifically the brutal treatment and regular demolitions and seizure of property in the village of Humsa by the military. Watch (the talk was in Hebrew).

Protests and Demonstrations

Ongoing participation in the anti-corruption protests happening in Jerusalem. These protests have continued weekly, in Jerusalem, with Combatants for Peace activists participating in the demonstrations. We bring our message that corruption is only the symptom: occupation is the illness.

Demonstration “From Silwan to Balfour Street” in Jerusalem. February 6: The protest was focused  around opposing  and drawing to light the Israeli government’s ongoing actions to evacuate Palestinian families from the Jerusalem village of Silwan, including regular home demolitions and ongoing violence from the military towards the residents.

Demonstration in front of  the District Court in East Jerusalem, protesting the eviction of four Palestinian families in the area. This protest is part of  the ongoing movement to prevent  unlawful evictions in East Jerusalem (that began in the 1950’s) and protect resident’s rights to  stay on their land and in their homes.

Protest outside of Israeli occupation detention center “ Ofer” in central West Bank, demanding the release of Human rights activist and CFP member Nasser Al Adra. Nassser lives in At-twani and is active in the popular resistance there.  In an attempt to brreak the resistance the military is using intimidation tactics, including imprisonment of members, keeping them for days in jail up to a trial, which usually end up in a release under some restricting conditions and a hefty bail.  This was the case with Sami last month and now with Nasser. The community of At-Twani is strong and hundreds of Israeli activists, including cfp members,  support the non violent struggle against the occupation with the villagers. Nassser was detained on Feb 9 and released on February 14. He was posted with $7500 bail, which was raised by the activist community. Photo from the protest.

Leadership Skills Trainings & Empowerment for Activists

Nonviolent Communication Training/workshop at Combatants for Peace’s Beit Jala office. Feb 13, led by Dr. Amal Al-Hadweh. This course is the latest in a monthly series of discussion and skills based workshops created with with the support of the German ZFD Foundation, aimed at empowering Palestinian activists working in the field.

Empowering Women: several of our leading women activists were selected for New Story Leadership’s #SheLeads program, fostering relationship between  the two NGO’s as well as empowerment skills and training for our female leadership.

Women’s Group Meeting: Our women’s group organized a workshop with Loyal Sawalameh, a psychology expert, to discuss the pandemic and the impact it has had on the lives of Palestinian women – and what we can do to offer support.

The Freedom School: Combatants for Peace welcomes the third cohort of young Israeli trainees started a Midreshet Dror (Freedom School) in Jerusalem. Welcome to Assaf, Ilam, Zohar, Tamar, Shir, Gaia, Arbel, stav, Amitai, Nofar and Inbar! Over the next four weeks these eleven participants will be trained in activism and they will study about the political realities of the region. After they complete their training, they will join an organization of their choice working against the Israeli occupation for a four month internship. Combatants for Peace partners with Breaking the Silence and Achvat Amim for the programme.

January 2021

Sumud: Helping Palestinian communities stay on their land

Rebuilding a demolished home: Jan 30, activists visited the destroyed Bedouin village of Wadi Ahmar, helping Ibrahim and his family with the reconstruction work to their homestead. Two days earlier, the Israeli Civil Administration came and confiscated the family’s equipment and tents in an attempt to force them to move from the area they have raised their family and herd in for the last 10 years. With a demolition order, if they had rebuilt in the same place, the new construction could have been demolished without a new order, but if they move and build in a new place, even if not far away, a new demolition order is needed to keep him away from the area. Ibrahim decided to move with the tent and the flock a mile to the east, next to another encampment. When we arrived, Ibrahim and his entire family were in the middle of loading the pieces of metal and wood, which the Civil Admin. left behind, onto a tractor cart. Together with his family, and neighbors, Ibrahim was able to get organized, thus saving his family and flock from another night exposed to frost and rain.

Letters to International leadership. CfP activists wrote letters outlining the recent surge in home demolitions and sent them to international leaders across Europe and the USA, including over 250 letters to Congressmembers, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development in Germany and the German office for Foreign Affairs. See More and write to congress demanding an end to home demolitions!

Rebuilding a Road in Shushalah: Saturday Jan 2nd, Combatants for Peace activists from the Bethlehem group joined residents of  Shushalah village, south of Bethlehem, and helped them rehabilitate part of the road leading to the villagers homes. In the morning, CFP activists and the local villagers removed soil that closed the road leading to the house of the Muhannad Salah family at the top of the village. The road was closed last week as a result of landslides from the rain storm. The Israeli occupation prevents the residents from  bringing any heavy machinery to the village to help fix roads or agricultural lands. Since 2019 occupation forces closed all roads leading to the village with iron barriers and earth mounds, and the village has been classified as an “agricultural area” preventing residents from staying in their homes. The history of the village dates back to the Ottoman era, and there is a shrine and a mosque in the village, and some houses that are still standing from that period, which the military prevents the residents from restoring.

Reconstructing shelters: CfP activists spent much of December and January participating in rebuilding efforts in the village of Humsa, after the village was destroyed by the military a few weeks ago. After about 25 workdays in the last few weeks, our activists helped to build about twenty-five new homes and shelters for about six families. Shelters include both homes for families and shelters for the Shepherding community’s animals. Regular work days to rebuild the village are continuing to be organized until the reconstruction is complete.

A Legal Appeal: A letter drafted by several CfPeace activists and lawyer Itay Mack was sent to the IDF’s Chief of staff denouncing a “gradual ethnic cleansing” of the Palestinian population from Areas C and a situation of apartheid when settlers build fences to prevent shepherds from entering grazing areas. We also sent letters to the German consulate, several embassies and USA congress members demanding an end to home demolitions in the Jordan Valley and South Hebron Hills.

Solidarity Visits: Cfpeace activists visited the sister of Haroun Abu Aram. Haroun was shot in the neck and is now completely paralyzed following his attempt to prevent Israeli soldiers from confiscating a generator he used to keep his family warm, after his house was demolished by the Israeli civil administration. The Israeli civil administration demolished 664 buildings in the occupied territories claiming they had no building permit, while of the above 2000 requests for permit only 21 where provided. One of our activists is a school principal in Israel and brought paper and colored-pencils for the kids from Haroun family, as a soothing activity in these times of despair for the family. Later in the month, CfP activists visited the community of Hammam al Malik, where the community’s homes had been demolished by the army. We came to see if there were ways we could support the recently devastated village.

Working the land in Susya: A family in the Palestinian village of Susya asked us to help them build a fence around a piece of land that the settlers from a nearby settlement had tried to steal through force. According to Israeli law, if a landowner doesn’t cultivate his land for seven years, that land is returned to State ownership. The settler’s attitude was that whatever belongs to the State therefore belongs to them. We arrived with several activists to show our support for the family and their land. In the end it was agreed that erecting a fence would only provoke more violence, so together we worked the land and decided to make regular visits to keep the land legally in possession of the family.

Jordan Valley Coalition: Two of Israeli human rights activists associated with the coalition were arrested when a settler brought his cattle to feed on private Palestinian farmland. The two activists went to the settler to tell him he could not destroy private property. In response the settler threatened and attacked them with violence. The police came in to intervene and arrested the activists, detaining them for several hours. The day before, Erik Asherman, a leading coalition member, had has car vandalized when two screws were removed from the wheels, in an attempt to make driving the car unsafe. Erik was unharmed, but received a call from Ayman Odeh (of the Joint List) to discuss the situation. Of course, our work also continues in the Jordan Valley, walking with Shepherds and protecting them from Settler and military violence. The coalition also planted and sowed seeds in the Palestinian village of Dir Ghrir and staged a demonstration in Hamam el Malikh, a small Palestinian village, protesting the demolition of a local school.

Online Talks

Living Nonviolence: Becoming A Combatant for Peace. Hosted by Encounter on January 5. Featuring CfPeace activist, Osama Iliwat in conversation with Michael Soberman.

Building strength from within: Combating systems of oppression, injustice and mass incarceration. January 14 featuring Inside Circle co-Executive Director, Eldra Jackson III and Combatants for Peace co-Executive Director, Sulaiman Khatib. Watch

Transformation Series with Sulaiman Khatib. Our transformation series consisted of three sessions: January 10, 17 and 31st – 11am MT. Each session was 75 minutes long and included deeply personal stories from Israeli and Palestinians, plus time for personal discussion and reflection amongst the participants. Sessions will build upon each other in a journey of transformation on all levels: personal, familial and societal. This event was sponsored by the Social Justice Committee of Temple Beth Shalom in Santa Fe, NM. Learn More

Protests and Demonstrations

Anti-corruption protests – these protests have continued weekly, every Thursday and Saturday across Israel, with Combatants for Peace activists participating in every demonstration. We bring our message that corruption is only the symptom: occupation is the illness.

Demonstration in the South Hebron Hills. Jan 8.  Haron Abu Aram is on life support, and paralyzed after he was shot in the neck by an Israeli soldier. His family’s home had been demolished days before and he was keeping his family safe and warm through the use of a single generator. When the army returned to confiscate the generator he protected it, and as a result was shot in the neck. Combatants for Peace activists, both Israeli and Palestinian voiced their disapproval of this terrible use of force through a nonviolence demonstration, demanding an end to race-based oppression and violence.

Demonstration in front of Ofer Military Prison, January 11. Speaking out against the arrest of nonviolent activist Sami Al Harini. Huraini was detained by Israeli soldiers entering his parents house past midnight for leading a Palestinian/Israeli demonstration against the criminal shooting that paralyzed Haroun Abu Aram by an Israeli soldier, over the confiscation of a generator a few days earlier.  Officialy Sami was charged with ‘insulting a public police border’, ‘disturbing the public order’, and ‘entering a closed military area’.  Sami is the ultimate example of a person practicing non-violent resistance against Israeli occupation and war crimes. Since his high school years he has taken part in protecting his community against the aggression of nearby Israeli settlers, who harass young kids on their way to school, who attack Palestinian sheppards as they graze their stock, who uproot olive trees before they bare fruits. Sami finished his law degree. On the 13th of Jan. the Israeli military released Sami on a bail of 10,000 NIS.  A fund raising campaign was established to raise the money . Combatants for Peace has been involved in the struggle of At Twani community for years and will continue its support it in the face of the Israeli military, and administrative aggression.

Youth & Young Adult Leadership Programs

The Freedom School: Recruitment for the third cohort of the Freedom School has begun. While follow-up for the first two cohorts is ongoing. Three young women graduates of the second cohort have founded a young-adult activist group for the Israeli side in Combatants for Peace. Efforts are now underway to recruit Palestinians for a parallel group.

Meetings with teens and parents: CfPeace activists hosted several meetings for mehinot students and their families – “mehinot” is an educational gap year between  high school and army that teens sometimes choose to take. In one meeting, activists met with 60 parents of mehinot students. We also held two additional meetings with the teens themselves. None of the teens or their parents met Palestinians before as equals and heard their stories. These programs have profound impact on youth about to be drafted to serve in the military.

Kickoff of the Palestinian Youth Group! We had our very first meeting with the new recruits this month. The young activists met over zoom getting to know each other and learn more about Combatants for Peace. We are excited for this process of training and empowerment of the youth to begin!

Leadership Skills Trainings & Empowerment for Activists

Hebrew Classes are being organized, free of charge, for any Palestinian activist who wants to learn. Classes are twice per week in our Beit Jala office.

December 2020

Sumud: Helping Palestinian communities stay on their land

Planting Olive Trees & Building Toilets: December 4, Activists from Combatants for Peace planted 25 olive trees and constructed a bathroom for Hateem Makhamreh and his family. Hatem and his family were rendered homeless after Israeli occupation forces destroyed their home last month. After the work ended, CFP activists delivered aid parcels that include blankets and winter clothing to be delivered to several communities in the southern Hebron hills.

Reconstructing shelters: December 9, 11, 14, 15, 20, 22, 24 & 29. CfP activists have spent much of December participating in rebuilding efforts in the village of Humsa, after the village was destroyed by the military a few weeks ago. Our activists helped to build families new homes and also helped build shelters for the Shepherding community’s animals. Regular work days to rebuild the village are continuing to be organized until the reconstruction is complete.

The Jordan Valley coalition: In the village of Samravwe we sowed crops with the farmers as they are afraid to do it without the protection of Israeli activists (as the villagers are so commonly assaulted by settlers and the military – similar to the fear in olive picking). In the village of Hamra we walked with shepherds every week, and also tried monitoring  a new Israeli “outpost” that is being built illegally on Palestinian lands, in the hopes of freezing the construction. Settlers stole cattle from a Shepherding family living near near the village of Taybeh, we were in touch with the family and are still working on receiving the cattle. A tractor was confiscated by the Israeli army in the village of Khalet Mak’khul. We helped pay the fine, and also walked with shepherds in that village, as well as in the villages of Nuema and Duyuk.

Solidarity in Susya: December 25th. CFP activists participated in a solidarity visit to communities in the southern Hebron hills. During the visit, work was done to help local farmers attend to their lands and we participated in talks regarding protecting local Palestinian lands from settlement expansion plans. We also visited to the Susya Elementary School, which has been issued a demolition order. The school has 55 students coming from 47 families living in the area.

Planting Grapes in Al Khader/Hosan (Bethlehem area): December 26. Combatants for Peace activists from the Bethlehem group planted grape seedlings on the farmland owned by Khaldoun Sabih from Al Khader town, south of Bethlehem. Israeli settlers keep attacking and uprooting Khaldoun’s land, as his land is located near the settlers road 60 that connects West Bank settlements with occupied East Jerusalem. The most recent attack took place back in April, when settlers uprooted 500 olive trees. Immediately after the attack on Khaldoun’s land in April, the movement’s activists planted more than 200 olive trees in place of those that the settlers uprooted. Today’s activity was a continuation of that rebuilding work.

Protests and Demonstrations

Anti-corruption protests – these protests have continued weekly, every Thursday and Saturday across Israel, with Combatants for Peace activists participating in every demonstration. We bring our message that corruption is only the symptom: occupation is the illness.

Education about the Occupation & the Nakba

Tour of the Village of Safuriyya: December 13. The North group organized a tour to learn the story of the displaced village of Safuriyya near Nazareth. Safuriyya was a big and thriving Palestinian village that was demolished in 1948 and its residents were forbidden to return to their homes. Most of the village residents and their families live nearby, a few kilometers away, in Nazareth. They are Israeli citizens still displaced from their lands. Thank you for our hosts Abu-Arab and Um-Khaled from the Assocation for rights of the displaced people. ADDPR

Online Refuse-nik Campaign: Combatants for Peace published two more videos of our Israeli activists explaining why the refused to serve in the military/occupation. The first video was about Yonatan Gher, our Israeli director: watch.  The second was about CfP activist, Rotem Levine: watch.

Tour of Nazareth: December 26. Organized by the north group of Combatants for Peace. The purpose of the tour was teach Israelis about the history of the Palestinian community in Nazareth and their experiences since the Nakba of 1948 until today. Subjects never taught in the Israeli education system.

Leadership Skills Trainings & Empowerment for Activists

Nonviolent Communication Seminar: December 28-31. A four-day seminar for activists to master the skills of nonviolent communication. The training had 21 CfPeace activists attending, and was led by certified NVC trainer, Azam Talhami.

Online Talks

Fighting for Peace: Nonviolent leadership as a way of life. Hosted by Encounter, December 22. Featuring CfP co-Director Sulaiman Khatib in conversation with Rabbi Sharon Brous.

November 2020

Sumud: Helping Palestinian communities stay on their land

Supporting demolished communities: November 6 & 8: “It is a painful scene when you see homeless children, you see animals dying because of the cold, all of this is caused by the oppressive and unjust occupation,” Jamil Qassas, General Palestinian Coordinator of Combatants for Peace. After occupation soldiers detained us for more than two hours, we were able to reach the Palestinian community of Humsa in the Jordan Valley, where earlier this week occupation forces destroyed more than seventy homes and agricultural structures, rendering 74 Palestinians including 41 children homeless without anything protecting them from the cold winter. CFP Activists were among many delegations from local and international NGOs in addition to representatives of the European Union than visited Humsa today to inspect the damage. Combatants for Peace movement will join the international and local efforts to support the people of Humsa to remain on their lands.

Providing life-saving supplies: On November 10 we delivered a truck load of supplies to the community of Humsa, the shepherding community which was brutally destroyed by occupation forces. We brought items including tents, food, a fridge, heaters, clothing, blankets, children’s games and food.

The Jordan Valley coalition is growing again, despite the Covid regulations and restrictions. Combatants for Peace activists escort shepherds from the villages of Duyuk, Nuema and Auja, near Jericho, as well as from the village of Hamra in the Northern Jordan Valley. We send activists to each of the village every week, as having Israelis walking with the Palestinian shepherds protects them from violence from the settlers and the military. We bring equipment, clothing and shoes for the families every time we go.

Education about the occupation & the Nakba

Tour in the city of Safed: The North group of Combatants for Peace organized a in the Galilee. The city is one of the four sacred cities in Jewish tradition. Prior to 1948, it was a multicultural hub with people living there from many different cultures and religions. In 1948, the entire Palestinian community was expelled. Our group met with an older Palestinian woman, who was six years old when her family was forced to flee. She shared with us her story. “The tour was sad, but also hopeful. It showed us that change can be done.” – Itamar Feigenbaum, Israeli leader of the Combatants for Peace North Group.

Expressing Solidarity: Combatants for Peace threw our support behind Maher Akras, a Palestinian detained in Israel in July without charge. Maher el Akhras, 49, from the occupied West Bank, went on a hunger strike for over 100 days in protest at his administrative detention, without charge nor alleged crime committed. Nearing the brink of death, Maher has since ended his strike, on assurances his detention would not be extended beyond the end of November Combatants for Peace raised awareness about his detention on the ground through signs and social media, and published an article in the Hebrew Press. Read the article in English, by Tuly Flint.

Online Refuse-nik Campaign: Combatants for Peace published its first video (in what intends to be a series) of our Israeli activists explaining why the refused to serve in the military/occupation. Watch.

Leadership Training

Nonviolent Communication Workshop: On November 7, 20 people participated in Beit Jala in the first NVC of a new series organized by Combatants for Peace in partnership with the organization Forum ZFD. The participants reflected on one’s needs and how we feel when our needs are not fulfilled? Worth to be noted: four religions – Islam, Judaism, Christianity and Druze faith – were represented in the discussion.

Young Adult Programming: the second cohort of the Freedom School just finished their seven-week learning and lecture series. They launch into four-month internships this month. We also launched our Palestinian youth program this month, hiring Rafa Mismar to start the program.

Empowering Women The Combatants for Peace women’s group hosted three seminars for local Palestinian women (Nov 13, 20 & 27), learning empowerment, self-care and leadership techniques aimed at helping the women build strength and solidarity in the face of both occupation and Covid.

Protests and Demonstrations

Anti-corruption protests – these protests have continued weekly, every Thursday and Saturday across Israel, with Combatants for Peace activists participating in every demonstration. We bring our message that corruption is only the symptom: occupation is the illness.

Online Talks

Where do we go from here: How do the election results impact the future of peace?
November 10 with speakers Jim Zogby President and founder of the Arab American Institute, Lara Friedman, President of Foundation for Middle East Peace and Dr. Galia Golan, Combatants for Peace leader. Moderated by Mae Elise Cannon, Executive Director of Churches for Middle East Peace. Watch.

Disturbing the Peace Screening in Geneva. November 16. The event was organised by AMAGE – Association du Monde Arabe de l’Université de Genève in partnership with Raquel Vidal Remis and Bruna Perestrelo (students of University of Geneva), Combatants for Peace and B8 Of Hope. The message of the film and the panel that followed is universal : it is about humanization, equal rights and transformation. As Souli Khatib and Avner Wishnitzer co-founders of CFP and protagonists of the documentary said in conclusion to the audience: “it is important to disturb one’s peace and be actively part of the change we want to make for a better future – whether in Israel-Palestine or elsewhere in the world.”

Launching our first USA-Israel-Palestine Leadership Call. November 11with Tuly Flint and Rafa Mismar. Organized for our Clergy Council, Academic Council and Advisory Board. These calls will be continued monthly.

Topol Summit on Nonviolence and Nonviolent Resistance Today November 12. Sponsored by the Harvard-Kennedy School, CARR Center for Human Rights Policy. Summit Chair: Dr. Erica Chenoweth. Featuring Combatants for Peace speakers, Osama Elewat and Galia Golan.

“Combatants Rising Together”: The Sisterhood of Salaam/Shalom Conference. November 15with Tarek Masserini, Sulaiman Khatib and Tuly Flint. Tarek Maassarani is a community organizer and teacher of strategic nonviolence, mediation, dialogue facilitation, restorative/transformative justice and Nonviolent Communication. He focuses his work in Washington, D.C. area, the Middle East and Africa. Our speakers will speak at two sessions of the conference.

VIP Reception Combatants for Peace activists met with the American Friends of CfP monthly donors,  sharing insights and connecting. Sign up to be a monthly donor and enjoy private online events with the CfP leadership!

Hashomer Hatzair meeting in South America Combatants for Peace activists met with youth in South America over zoom, sharing their work and their hope for building a better future.

October 2020

Online Talks

The State of Democracy: The intersections between the Balfour Demonstrations in Israel, Palestinian voting rights and Voter Suppression in the USA
October 22 with Avner Wishnitzer, one of the founders of Combatants for Peace and a professor of Middle East History; Kochav Shachar, one of our most active young leaders; and Aziz Abu Sarah, who sits on our Board of Directors and was the first Palestinian to run for Mayor of Jerusalem.
Watch the Recording

Activism Hub: “Combatants For Peace” living Non violence in action
Oct 17 Sponsored by Global Nonviolence Festival, Organized by NVC Rising. Feauring Souli Khatib and Chen Alon speaking on October 17th of the festival. Their  talk focused on transformation, dialogue, non-violence, action-reflection, activist as spect-actors (using theatre…), private/collective memories, trauma, hope, creating a third narrative, co-resistance (and more…).

Screening of Disturbing the Peace
October 6, The Philadelphia Chapter of American Friends of CfP organized an online screening of Disturbing the Peace for their community, followed by a short discussion via Zoom.

Israel, The Arab States and Palestine: Where Are We Now?
October 8, Hosted by The Houston Seminar. In August, the United Arab Emirates became the first Arab state in decades to normalize its relations with Israel. Bahrain soon followed suit, and more Arab States may follow. But one thorny issue remains untouched: Palestine. Dr. Galia Golan, longtime academic and peace activist, spoke  via Zoom from her home in Israel to provide unique insights into what the recent Arab-Israeli agreements may mean for the futures of Israel and of Palestine.  Watch the Recording

The Israel-UAE-Bahrain Deal: how will it impact Israel, Palestine and the USA Elections?
October 12, with Professor Galia Golan and Nizar Farsakh
Nizar Farsakh was a member of the Palestinian negotiating team advising senior Palestinian leaders including President Abbas, Prime Minister Fayyad and various ministries. He is currently chair of the  Board of the Palestine Museum in Washington,  D.C. Galia Golan, PhD, has been a leading Israeli peace activist and scholar for many decades, having co-founded and served in the leadership of Peace Now and a number of women’s local and international peace groups. Watch the Recording

The Reality in the Jordan Valley.
October 18 with Kochav Shachar, Osama Iliwat and Human Rights Lawyer Itay Mack. This recording is in Hebrew.

Sumud: Helping Palestinian communities stay on their land

Rebuilding homes demolished by the occupation: The army demolished three homes in the Palestinian village of Fasail in early October. on Monday, October 12th Cfpeace activists visited the village to see how we could help repair the damage that was done to the community. We coordinated with several other organizations to arrange a large tent as a temporary shelter for the family.

The Jordan Valley Coalition: Our activists  also continue to walk weekly with Shepherds in the villages of Nuema and Oja, protecting the local communities from settler and military violence. They also brought clothing and other essential supplies to families, and especially children, in need.

Helping with the Olive Harvest: Our activists gathered October 16, in a solidarity action with the family of Arafat for olive picking in Sawiya, south of Nablus. When we arrived, the army declared the area a “closed military zone” and ordered us to evacuate from the orchards. Only a dozen activists managed to stay alongside the local Palestinian families to help them out in their work. Once more the Israeli occupying army showed its intention to disrupt any joint move between Palestinians and Israelis to materialize peace and resist the illegal occupation. On October 23rd, our activists gathered again for the harvest, this time in the village of Azon (east of Qalqilya). 30 activists participated in the activity. During the harvest, we also hung large posters from the trees expressing solidarity for Maher Akhras who has been in a hunger strike in prison for more than 90 days to protest against administrative detention (the practice of jailing Palestinians without cause, and with no access to trial).

Protests and Demonstrations

Our activists partnered with a other anti-occupation activists from different NGO’s and created a massive art piece in Rabin square the morning of October 14, by pasting black fabric to create immense geometrical letters saying “Democracy or occupation”. The inscription was photographed and filmed by media drones before it was quickly dismantled by the police.

The Balfour demonstrations have continued every weekend, larger than ever, despite the Israeli lockdown.

Empowering the Next Generation of Leaders

The Freedom School: October 16, the second cohort of  the freedom school met today, in their first follow-up meeting since the educational intensive (part one) of their fellowship ended, and their internships (part two) started.

New Members Workshop: On Saturday, October 17th the Palestinian side of Combatants for Peace organized a full day new members workshop for local activists. The workshop had overwhelming interest, we had 80 applicants for 40 spots!

Raising Women’s Voices: We embarked on a storytelling training for two of our leading women activists. These two women will be trained by a professional storyteller to become international and local spokeswomen for the movement.

September 2020

Protests & Demonstrations

Every week Combatants for Peace activists participate in the Balfour Protests, demanding PM Bibi Netanyahu resign.  The protests bring in tens of thousands of Israelis from across the political spectrum. This article, by one of our young women activists, explains what the Balfour protests mean to her and her community.

Updates from the Galilee

Events held in  the Galilee encourage activists and lay-people to learn about the history  of the Nakba and Palestinian dispossession since 1948:On Friday, Sept 4th, “Freedom School” participants met in the abandoned Palestinian village – Ma’alul. These Israeli Youth heard one Palestinian elder tell his moving story about his family’s exile from their village in 1948. Many questions were raised, thoughts/feelings were shared, and everyone felt the intense need to work together to create a future of peace, equality and freedom for all Palestinians and Israelis. On September 11th, we organized an outdoor trip to the destroyed villages of Biriem and Ikrith to learn about their history. Watch the video.

Welcoming New Leadership

We are pleased to welcome Sulaiman Khatib, Combatants for Peace co-founder into his new role as the Palestinian Director, as of September 1st. We also opened our very first office in Palestine, in Beit Jala, and are hiring a Palestinian office staff to provide a more professional infrastructure and base of support, to grow the movement and expand the network of activists. Read more about our new leadership this month.

Jordan Valley Coalition

Combatants for Peace activists have continued their work with Palestinian Shepherding families, walking with them on a weekly, or daily basis to protect them from the violence they face from settlers and the military. Please scroll down to the August report to see more details of the two families we walk with regularly. The coalition’s work focuses in the communities of Nuema, Auja, Dir Jrir and Khamra. We also brought more clothing donations this month, and were also able to donate a computer to a family who needed it, but could never otherwise afford to buy one.

“Learning Peace” Seminar

A talk on “Balfour demonstrations and the anti-occupation movement” with CfP activist Kochav Shahar, journalist Ariana Melamed and Ariel Bernshtain from Breaking the Silence as speakers. The talk was held in Hebrew. The recording with subtitles in English will be available in a few weeks.

American Events

An update from Philadelphia, September 13:
“This morning we presented Combatants for Peace to the Adult Academy at the First United Methodist Church of Germanown before their zoom service.  There were about 25 people participating and it went very well. We showed the Souli/Chen film clip and then slides from our trip to Israel/Palestine with Combatants for Peace in 2018.  The minister was on the Zoom and had met Combatants years ago.  We had very good Q/A and interest from the congregants.  All in all, a good morning.”   -The Philadelphia American Friends of CfP Chapter

August 2020

Protests & Demonstrations

August 7th, marked the 12th consecutive week of Friday protests in Hares. Every Friday members of Combatants for Peace’s central group joins Hares residents’ prayers, facing Israeli soldiers and police who prevent them from praying in the olive grove where 200 trees were uprooted three months ago by people from the nearby Revava settlement.

Every Saturday CFP joins the Balfur protests, alongside thousands of Israeli citizens. The protest takes place across the street from the Prime Minister’s residence. Together we demand that he leave office, given his corruption charges on three counts: lying, bribery and breach of trust.  Combatants for Peace brings occupation to the forefront of these protests, reminding the public the effect  the occupation has on Israel’s civic life. The formation of an Apartheid system in the occupied territories prevents Israel being a democratic sate, to the billion of shekels spent on maintaining the occupation, and as a result the creation of a dire financial situation in Israel proper when COVID struck the population.

Combatants for Peace activist, Rafa Mismar, from Ramallah spoke to Israelis in Independence Park in Jerusalem, who were demonstrating against the military rule imposed on Palestinians by Netanyahu’s government. Thursday, August 13. Watch

The North group of Combatants have  also joined the protests, coming out to the streets in both Nazareth & Nof-Hagalil junction, alongside our partners Standing Together. The call to stop the corruption and end the occupation is being heard across the Nation.

Combatants for Peace members joined a Palestinian demonstration against the harrasement of Palestinian farmers on their land by Israeli settlers, near the village of Dir Istia, August 13

August 15th we participated in a week-long march organized from Haifa to Jerusalem, denouncing the unpunished, systematic violence against Israeli-Arab communities. We walked from Latrun to Abu Gosh along with bereaved mothers and fathers who lost their children to this violence. With them we called for more equality in the way the Israeli police investigate crimes perpetrated within Jewish and Arab communities.

The Jordan Valley Coalition

The Coalition has continued walking with Neuima community members, around Jericho, on a daily basis. They have also been walking daily with the community in Oja. There have been a few attacks by settlers and the army during this time, but the violence stays contained when our activists remain with the Shepherds, protecting the communities. For the past few months, we have been focusing on a few particular families: one family of Shepherds, Ismail and Nadia and their six children in the North. They have been continually harassed by the local outpost, “Omer.” In Oja we have been walking with two brothers, Mohamed and Ahmed, also protecting them from the violence they face from settlers. We have also brought the brothers a cooking stove for gas, clothing and binoculars.

Updates from the Galilee

August 22nd we met in the Catholic church that remained in Maa’lul village site for a cleaning session. The community of Maa’lul hosted us for several meetings and we wanted to give something back. As always we find that working together builds connections beyond dialogue. Maalul’s Church is being maintained by the community of the Village displaced families.

“We came this morning to the village site, where only two churches and a mosque remained after the village destruction in July 1948. The State of Israel does not allow the Mosque to be renewed, and the Catholic church is maintained by its internal displaced community which lives in the nearby village. We came to help clean the church which was built in 1930 with an adjacent space that served as an elementary school. Abu-Bshara who learned in the school was among our hosts today.  I felt that cleaning the place was also about acknowledgement: Acknowledging the History, and Acknowledging the belonging of this community to this land.” -Itamar Feigenbaum, CfPeace activist

On Aug 27 we met for a group planning meeting in Nazareth. We came out with planning three activities/excursions for September and October. The goal of these excursions is to learn the stories of different villages that were destroyed in 1948 and to hear personal stories of displaced Palestinians in Israel. Deeper knowledge of the Palestinian Nakba will give us better understanding of how to end the conflict and more hope.

Online Events and Webinars

• “A History of Negotiations” hosted by J Street’s, J Stream. With CfPeace leader, Galia Golan. August 19. Watch the video.
• “Narratives  of Conflict, Complexity and Transformation”Hosted by Seeds of Peace featuring Combatants for Peace co-founder Souli Khatib, August 3
• Private Event: Souli & Tuly share their personal stories in a private event on August 11th. Watch  the video.

July 2020

The Freedom School

We had the great honor of welcoming the second cohort of Israeli young adults who have joined our “Freedom School” (Midreshet Dror). The trainees will go through an intensive 6-week-long study program, intending to make them lead activists of tomorrow. They spend these first six weeks learning about the reality of  the occupation, and have the opportunity to  hear from communities living under occupation. Then they are placed in four-month long internships and work directly to end the occupation. Together we are working in partnership with Breaking the Silence and Achvat Amim to make this program a success. Our first meeting with the new group was July 7th, where we welcomed twelve young adult participants.

The Jordan Valley Coalition

The Coalition has been walking with communities around Jericho on a daily basis this month, protecting them from settler and military violence. In the north, they have  been  blocked from walking with the Shepherds, due to the shut-downs from the Coronavirus. Yet, the local communities are reporting  that they have been experiencing fewer attacks from settlers during this time than they have for years, due to the shut-downs

Commemoration of the village of Mal’ul in the North

Commemoration event, marking the anniversary of when the village of Mal’ul, a village next to Nazareth in the North, was expelled and exiled in 1948. Due to restrictions of the virus, the ceremony was turned into a hour-long commemoration video. Watch the video (Hebrew and arabic subtitles only).

In the week of the anniversary of the expulsion of Maalul village near Nazareth in July 15th 1948 we met with Mr. Muhammad Kial, co-founder, of the commitee for the rights of the inner displaced Palestinians for a conversation about the history of the displaced Palestinians and key issues to address to solve the problem of the displaced and refugees.

Protests & Demonstrations

Protests  have been happening nearly every weekend in July in Jerusalem. Combatants for Peace activists participated informally, and towards the end of the month, the steering committee formally decided to bring CfP into the protests. Our activists marched outside the Prime Minister’s home, calling for an end to corruption and an end to the occupation. Watch a video clip from the protest.

200 olive trees were uprooted a month ago in the village of Haris. The local Palestinian communities, along with cfp activists have been praying in the field on fridays as quiet demonstrations against this injustice. This Past Friday,  July 3rd, the army did not let the community pass through the Haris gate. So we stood in front of soldiers and told them the background of the event, explaining to them the injustice they were supporting and committing. Watch the video.

USA Based Activism

• New Hampshire volunteers are building a program that can be replicated on zoom, where they share the stories of the CfP activists and hold discussions afterwards their local communities.
• North Carolina volunteers signed a local International Day of Peace Proclmation alongside other local peace groups in Asheville.
• Philadelphia volunteers are organizing an online screening of Disturbing the Peace and discussion, for their local community.
• Curriculum Building volunteers from New York and Los Angeles are working together to put together Bar/Bat Mitzvah curriculum, teaching kids and their families about the work of Combatants for Peace and educating them about the situation in Palestine and Israel.

Online Events and Webinars:

• Learning Peace Webinar: Activism for Human Rights in Conflict Situations: Tactics and Actions Under Fire,  July 22
  With speakers, Omar Shakir, the Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch and Abir Joubran Dakwar, the Unit Director of Human Rights in the Occupied Territories in The Association of Civil Rights in Israel. Watch the Recording. Watch the Recording
• Hampshire Peace Action Peace & Justice Conversation Series: Combatants for Peace, on July 20th our New Hampshire volunteers presented to their community the inspiration they have found from meeting Combatants for Peace activists.
• Mandela’s Legacy: Then and Now
  Organized by Social Workers for Peace & Social Welfare and Ossim-Shalom on July 19
  Featuring a panel of speakers from throughout the Peace-camp, honoring and highlighting Mandela’s legacy. Combatants for Peace activist, Souli Khatib sent a recorded video message, which was shared at the event.
• Emanuel Synagogue Talk: “Peace Is Possible”
  Sydney, Australia on July 19 with two Combatants for Peace activists sharing their personal stories of transformation and the work they are doing to end the occupation and bring peace.
• Discussion with United Nations Leadership & Civil Society Peacebuilders
  July 13 – Combatants for Peace activist, Souli Khatib spoke alongside Nickolay E. Mladenov, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process in a private conference for civil society peace-building leadership in Palestine and Israel.
• Art & Activism
  July 3 – Featuring CfPeace activist, Chen Alon, in a conversation about theater and social justice Watch the Recording
• An in-depth Discussion on Israel’s Annexation of the West Bank/Palestine
  Organized by Mejdi Tours on July 2 Watch the Recording

June 2020

Anti-Annexation Campaign Continues!

Webinar Series: The Effects of Annexation on Communities and Families
Israel’s threatened annexation of the West Bank poses severe human rights consequences for Palestinian people, families, and communities in the newly annexed area. While much coverage has focused on the impact of annexation on the stalled Oslo process, it is critical that all of us who care about the future of Israel and Palestine, hear directly from Palestinians whose human rights will be affected by annexation.

June 9
Sponsored by Extend, Solidarity of Nations – Achvat Amim and The Center for Jewish Nonviolence
Featuring Combatants for Peace activists Osama Iliwat and Elie Avidor
Watch the Recording

June 14
Sponsored by If Not Now
Featuring Combatants for Peace activists Sulaiman Khatib and Galia Galili
Watch the Recording

June 15
Sponsored by Partners for Progressive Israel
Featuring Combatants for Peace activists Rafa Mismar and Shai Goren
Watch the Recording

***Recommended Talk***
June 23
Sponsored by J Street
Featuring Combatants for Peace activists Sulaiman Khatib and Tuly Flint
Watch the Recording

June 24
Sponsored by Telos
Featuring Combatants for Peace activists Osama Iliwat and Galia Galili
Watch the Recording

June 29
Sponsored by Creativity for Peace
Featuring all female activists, Rafa Mismar and Galia Galili from Combatants for Peace  alongside speakers from the women’s leadership program, Creativity for Peace. This talk  focuses on how women, in particular, will be effected by the annexation.
Watch the Recording

Israel’s Proposed Annexation of the West Bank: Implications for Statehood
Organized by Critical Connections, June 30
Featuring CfPeace activist, Osama Iliwat
Watch the Recording

• Combatants for Peace organized a demonstration with several hundred Palestinian and Israeli activists joining together to rally against the impending annexation in the West Bank. The march started at the Dead Sea Junction at the entrance to Jericho, known as ‘Almog Junction’ and continued on Settler’s Road 90. The march was coordinated by Combatants for Peace and was supported by an alliance of Palestinian and Israeli organizations working against the occupation including Breaking the Silence, Standing Together, Zaytuna, All That’s Left, Achvat Amim, Zimam, Maavat Nidal, The Bereaved Parents Circle – Families Forum and The Zazim Foundation. Joining the protest the was also Palestinian Governor of Jericho Jihad Abu Al-Asal and former Israeli Knesset member Talab Al-Sana. Article & Photos
• New Voice, a new group of Combatants for Peace, made a video of Israeli Knesset members speaking out against the impending annexation. View Video
• German Friends of Combatants for Peace circulated a “call for action”,  calling upon the German government to “take a leading role against annexation and to prevent any escalation of violence in the Near East.” Read the Letter
• Combatants for Peace addressed all members of the UN Security Council yesterday, on the question of annexation. In the letters we sent, we requested that if the annexation plan is approved by the Israeli government, UN Security Council member states should exercise their powers under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, and impose sanctions on the State of Israel, as well as on the three top Israeli officials responsible for the illegal and dangerous annexation plan: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Benjamin Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi. Sanctions should include the freezing of their personal assets and the imposition of restrictions on their freedom to travel. A unilateral annexation of parts of the West Bank would constitute a violation of international treaties and UN Security Council resolutions. Letter to UN Security Council members 22.6.2020
• On June 22, activists participated in a mass demonstration in Jericho, and  on June 25th in Habima, both protesting the annexation.
• Combatants for Peace with two other anti-occupation organizations and the objector’s movement in Israel, wrote a letter to the German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Heiko Maas. They requested that the German government, “objects to the annexation in a clear and loud voice and applies the full range of sanctions and actions of International Law to prevent its realization.” The move took place as the German Minister visited Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian counterparts yesterday. Read the Letter
• Anti-Annexation Protest, June 6th in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv – Combatants for Peace partnered with 25 peace organizations to put together a rally against the impending annexation and ongoing occupation. CfPeace activist, Sulaiman Khatib was asked to speak (via video) alongside USA Senator Bernie Sanders and many others. Here’s a quote from CfP activists, Ella Nour about the protest: “It was exciting to see so many people, Palestinians and Jews, men and women, young and old, unwilling to accept the annexation plan. They came to the square to protest and to fight for our country, for our future and the future of our Palestinian neighbors. I was moved to see all these people gathered around the same idea. The annexation plan will only deepen the occupation. It will hurt the prospect of real peace, and of a Palestinian state next to the State of Israel. Thousands of people have come from far and wide to keep Israel democratic. We will not let the annexation plan be launched and we will continue to fight for democracy!” See photos here.

Webinars:

“Cultivating Young Leadership”
Featuring Combatants for Peace activists Chen Alon and Sulaiman Khatib, in collaboration with “Creativity for Peace”, a young women’s leadership program and musical artist Issa Noor, who performed for the first 30 minutes of the broadcast.
June 4
Watch the Recording

“The Intersection of Human Rights and Environmental Activism”
Featuring Liam Geary Baulch and Yaara Peretz, founders of Extinction Rebellion will join Gidon Bromberg, Israeli Director of Ec0Peace Middle East, for a talk about Environmental activism in a conflict zone. What can anti-occupation and human rights activists learn from environmental activists? How do our movements intersect?
June 1
Watch the Recording

The Jordan Valley

The Jordan Valley Coalition has shifted its work from the north to the area around Jericho, and is walking with the shepherds nearly everyday in the villages of Rashest, Ein El Hilwae and Farsia, and in the areas around Tayibe junction and near Uja. Activists from the coalition started going out again around mid-may (after the quarantine restrictions were lifted). There is often violence from settlers and/or military, and our activists’ presence protects the local communities.

Acts of violence against Palestinians living in the West Bank are relentless, and increasing now due to the impending annexation. They take place on a daily basis. We video documented one specific case among many: the destruction of eight family homes a few kilometers from the town of Jericho. The harassment takes many forms. For example – demanding that the shepherds move away from grazing land (even if the shepherds own the land and cultivate it), allowing the settlers’ cattle to eat the produce that the shepherds planted, dispersing the shepherds’ sheep by driving vehicles into the herds, erecting fences and digging trenches to prevent the shepherds from free movement, uprooting or burning their fruit and olive trees, detaining and arresting shepherds on trumped up charges, destroying the shepherds’ home tents and stealing their property, confiscating their tractors and work tools, vandalizing their solar panels.

The basis of our work in the Jordan Valley consists of accompanying Palestinian shepherds in the West Bank in order to deter the Israeli settlers and soldiers from harassing them, and when necessary we use the services of a lawyer to try to right the wrongs that are being done to the Palestinians. We also help the families who need things like clothes, shoes, toys, cooking utensils and sometimes money to pay for medicines or fines. In June we made a collection to buy special food for newly born premature twins.

In addition, this month there is activity with internally displaced Arabs from the village of Ma’alul in the Galilee. A meeting is planned with Palestinian citizens of the state who were displaced from their village in 1948 to express solidarity and see what we can do to help the community. They have been living about 2 km outside their own village and are not allowed to return to their homes.

• We also joined the many protests against the deplorable killing of a young autistic Palestinian, Eyad, that occurred on May 30 in East Jerusalem.
• Lectures for Internationals: one lecture was organized by Amal Tikva for Tulane University Students, a second was organized by West End Synagogue in Manhattan, for their community, and  a third was organized by a private book club in New Jersey.
• Combatants for Peace activists spoke to two groups of Israeli teens before they entered the military next year. Many of these kids had never heard stories of the occupation before. Our Palestinian speakers were brought in through webinar, since there are no permits available for Palestinians to enter Israel.
• Combatants for Peace activists have been participating in regular protests in the Palestinian village of Haris, ever since an olive grove was demolished in late May. Every Friday the community has been gathering in prayer at the olive grove, as a quiet protest against the injustice. At the scheduled protest on June 26th, the community was not allowed to go through the Haris checkpoint, so Combatants for Peace activists held the line, and instead held the protest in front of the dozen or more soldiers who were were blocking freedom of movement for the community.

May 2020:

Launch of our Anti-Annexation Campaign

The first step was sending a letter, written by a high-profile human rights lawyer, to every member of Knesset in Israel. The letter advised that MK’s should receive private legal council before voting in favor of annexation, explaining that despite support from Gantz, Bibi and Trump, annexation is in violation of international law, and anyone voting in favor of annexation could be committing a war crime, as outlined by international law.

Combatants for Peace sent letters from high-profile Human Rights Attorney Eitay Mack, to the Prime Minister of Greece, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Josep Borrell (the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy), and Israel’s Prime Minister. The letters stated that if the West Bank is formally annexed by the Israeli government, then the trainings for security and military personnel from Greece and Cypus in Israel would be unlawful and *must* be canceled. Once the Israeli government formally goes forward with annexation, these trainings would unlawfully include foreign military trainings in the West Bank. The letter states that the continued training, “will be of great symbolic importance, circumventing international law and ridiculing the EU’s opposition to annexation.”

Read the Letter

Read the Press Release

Nakba Memorial Event
Our first year, launching a collaboration event with Palestinians and Israelis honoring and commemorating the history of the Nakba (Palestinian “catastrophe”) together. This is the Palestinian community’s primary day of mourning, and the first time in history a commemorative event was organized with Palestinians and Israelis together. 21,000 people watched the Ceremony online.
May 14, 2020
Watch the Recording

• On May 29, Israeli and Palestinian CfP activists met with villagers from Hares, in the northern West Bank, for a nonviolent protest and midday prayers. We came in solidarity for one particular villager, Amjad Sultan, whose olive orchard had been partially bulldozed by nearby settlers. Activists vowed to continue in their nonviolent protests until the village was safe from the military and settlers threatening their land and lives.
• The Jordan Valley Coalition resumes after quarantine. Our work in the Jordan Valley, walking with shepherds to protect them from settler and military violence, has resumed after the quarantine. Our activists are going out nearly every day to protect  communities in the Northern Jordan Valley.
• Mothers Day, Listening to the ‘Stories of our Mothers’ online lecture, featuring Sarah Khatib, mother of one of our leading activists, speaking  about the time  her son was in jail, May 10
• Finding Light Amidst the Darkness: A Talk with the Euphrates Institute – “Opposition between good and bad is often compared to light and dark, but if we look at it in a different way, we will see that when light shines, darkness does not disappear. It doesn’t leave; it merges with the light. It becomes the light.” – Thich Nhat Hanh. Global peace-builders from Palestine and several conflict zones in Africa dive in to these questions and more.
  
• Combatants for Peace moved into its first-ever office space! We are using these few weeks to update our online systems, complete a re-evaluation of our organizational structure and improve the professional quality of our NGO.

April 2020:

Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Ceremony

The largest joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial peace event in History: 200,000 people around the world watched the event live. Over 60 NGO’s around the world sponsored and promoted the event from Israel/Palestine to South America, Canada, and groups throughout Europe and the USA. This was the largest collaborative peace event in history, held on Israeli Memorial Day.
April 27, 2020
More Information
Watch the Recording

Quarantine Activism: Our Webinar Series:

“Art, Music and Theater as Forms of Resistance”
with special guest speaker and Israeli visual artist, Hanoch Piven
alongside Samira Saraya, acclaimed Palestinian actress and Chen Alon, leader of the Theater of the Oppressed in CfP
Sunday, April 19
Watch the Recording

Screening of Disturbing the Peace
followed by a talk with singer/songwriter Noa (Achinoam Nini)
April 18
Disturbing the Peace is available on Amazon Prime
Watch the zoom conversation that followed the screening

“Personal Storytelling, a Tool of Transformation”
with Special Guest Speaker, Author Scott Bergstrom
April 13
Watch the Recording

Screening of Disturbing the Peace
Followed by q&a guest speakers: filmmakers Steve Apkon and Marcina Hale
April 11
Disturbing the Peace is available on Amazon Prime
Watch the zoom conversation with our activists after the screening

“Faith in Activism: Freedom or Oppression?”
in Partnership with Churches for Middle East Peace
Tuesday, April 7
Watch the Recording

“USA Based Activism, How Can We Help the Cause?”
Wednesday, April 1

Online Talks & lectures (nearly all activism was online due to the coronavirus)

• Educational lectures with Israeli teens, pre-military groups, April 2 & 4
• Hebrew screening of Disturbing the Peace, followed by online question and answer session with CfPeace activists, April 4
• International Lecture with with CfPeace activists, Sulaiman Khatib speaking to J Street U Students from the United States.
• International Lecture about the background and details of the Memorial, with Memorial Ceremony organizers Nathan Landau and Adam Rabee, April 15
• Hebrew lecture on being an Arab-Israeli doctor during Corona, with CfPeace activist, Orna Sajeda, April 16
• Hebrew lecture about Palestinian Prisoners in coordination with Breaking the Silence, April 16
• Lecture with Achvat Amim and J Street U, on using Storytelling as a tool for activism, April 20
• Lectures with ‘Track Two Diplomacy’ an NGO based around cultivating diplomacy tactics worldwide, and a sponsor of the Joint Memorial Ceremony, April 22 &  23
• We organized regular meetings f0r the Midrasha Freedom School,  continuing the Internship program we built before the quarantine and continuing to cultivate the skills and strengths of our Young Adult Leaders.

Tree Planting! After Israeli settlers uprooted and stole about 500 trees owned by Osama Ali Ibrahim Sabah from the Al Khader village (south of Bethlehem), Combatants for Peace donated and planted 100 olive trees. CfP adhered to the Ministry of Health’s guidelines for the Corona quarantine by keeping the participants under 10 people, who on their side will keep a safe distance from each other. April 15

March 2020:

Webinar: “How is the Corona Virus affecting life in Israel and Occupied Palestine?”
With CfP Activists Galia Galili and Sulaiman Khatib
March 26, 2020
Watch the Recording

• We held our closing Ceremony of the “Freedom School,” launching a new generation of young adult leaders and activists into the world. The young leaders were scheduled to begin four month internships with the Peace NGO of their choice upon this “graduation,” due to the quarantine, some were able to begin these internships digitally, while others had to postpone their plans.
• We held two meetings with Israeli pre-army student groups. The first was in the beginning of March, when we met with the students live and in person. When the Corona Quarantine hit, the 10-15 other student lectures we had planned had to be canceled. As communities slowly got more used to shifting to a digital reality, the lectures have been rescheduled, and we held our first virtual lecture with Israel teens at the end of march.
• Our Activists launched a series of digital events, webinars and conversations, starting on March 9th with a Webinar on the current state of the Israeli elections. CfP activists Galia Golan and Osama Elewat led that call. See above for more digital events held throughout the quarantine.
• We launched a digital campaign called #OccupationUnderCorona – documenting the human rights abuses that have increased in Occupied Palestine because of the virus. This information was circulated on our social media daily, starting the last few days of March, and will continue for as long as the quarantine continues.
• Planning for the Joint Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Ceremony is well underway, with a professional production team working on the broadcast. Plans were thrown for a loop this month as the planning team had to entirely shift gears from organizing a live event to an entirely online broadcast. Over a dozen international groups, NGO’s, religious communities and others have answered the call to sponsor and promote the event worldwide.

West Coast Speaking Tour

Jan 26- Feb 10, 2020
Speakers: Ismail Assad, Yoni Kallai and Galia Galili
Schedule of Events

February 2020:

• Rally against the trump plan in Tel Aviv, Feb 1st. Our co-founder Souli Khatib was quoted in Haaretz: “Building a shared future is based on respect and trust of both sides. Both sides must decide upon the future of this region.”
• ”We hosted a “Learning  Peace” Seminar in Tel Aviv on February 2nd with guest speaker Israeli photo journalist and anti-occupation activist Oren Ziv. Oren presented photos and discussed issues connected with photo-activism for peace. His lecture was followed by the personal testimonies of two CfP activists.
• We met with dozens of Israeli teens who are about to join the military. Most of these kids have never met a Palestinian, nor had the chance to hear his story as an equal human being. Moreover, few have been raised understand the impact of the occupation on their own people, so hear a former soldier speak out against the occupation is often revolutionary for these young people. This is the only opportunity these young teens will have to meet the “other” as a human being face-to-face, before being given a gun and ordered to stand at a checkpoint.
• We participated in a tree-planting in the Northern West Bank village of Yasuf. The Goal of this activity is to help struggling Palestinian farmers keep their land from being confiscated by the military occupation. One critical way we do this is by planting olive trees.
• We began a five-week long intensive political training (“Freedom School”) started for 10 young Israeli adults who recently completed their military service. Combatants for Peace has partnered with Breaking the Silence and Hashomer Hatzair to organize a variety of activities: lectures, discussions, personal development work and field visits. At the end of these five weeks, the students will participate in a 4-month internship with a peace organization of their choosing. We are hopeful that these young adults will become the next generation of activist leaders.
• The Memorial Day Team has been assembled, and they started preliminary meetings on arranging content & finding a location for the event in April.
• We held two international tours  – one in the  USA for two and a half  weeks, and one in Germany. We met well over 1,000 people internationally.

January 2020:

• The Theater group put on a very successful play in Beit Jala, using theater as a form of activism, to showcase the effect of the occupation on the civilian Palestinian population, and to engage in a process of healing for both sides.
• The Jerusalem-Bethlehem group organized a tour in the East Jerusalem neighborhood, Isaweia to introduce Israelis to the situation of life on the ground in occupied Palestine. They also participated in a protest in partnership with the villagers, protesting military brutality, home demolitions and demanding a better life.
• Leadership workshop – learning deeper tools to help our leadership engage in successful movement building and 2020 planning.
• Rotary Conference for World Peace: CfP activists were invited to attend the conference and gave a lecture to the  attendees.
• We are proud to announce that after a deep and tireless search we hired a new Israeli Director! We are honored to add him to our team. Read about Yonatan here.

December 2019:

• The village of Maalul was destroyed in the 1948 Nakba. Our activists are led a tour for Israelis and Internationals to the area, to learn about the history of Palestine & the Palestinian people.
• CfP activists built a water catchment system for a community with no access to running water in the West Bank, followed by a tour for Israelis to see the situation under occupation in the Jordan Valley.
• Led a tour of the East Jerusalem city of Isaweea, to expose Israelis to what life is like for Palestinians under the occupation in East Jerusalem.
• In celebration of the first night of Hanukah (the festival of lights), Combatants for Peace activists – Israelis and Palestinians together,  lit a message, demanding freedom, in fire-light on the separation wall.
• A meeting with Israeli teens, in Marda near Ariel Settlement. The Palestinian teens from Marda cannot go to the university that sits on top of their village, because the University will not accept Palestinians – even though the school was built on lands taken from their families.
• The Center Group (Hares-Tulkarem) planted olive trees on the land under threat of confiscation by the Israeli Civil Authority. The land belongs to the residents of Hares and is located between the settlement of Ariel and the industrial zone Ariel West. By planting olive trees, Combatants for Peace helps Palestinian communities proclaim ownership of their land enabling more freedom of movement.
• Steering Committee Workshop on Organizational management/planning and development – plans for 2020 are in the works.
• Protests in East Jerusalem. Hundreds of activists from an array of organizations, including CfP demonstrated in Issawiya against the systematic violence targeted by police against the local residents. Residents often face police brutality, including violence, shock grenades, tear gas, and arrests of children.
• Meeting of the Jerusalem – Bethlehem Group. During the meeting, residents made signage, declaring that a local water spring (which the Israeli government is hoping to claim for Jews only, by moving the checkpoint to prevent Palestinians from coming in) – should be available for *all* people. They put up these signs by the spring in the middle of the night, voicing their dissent to the government’s policies of land confiscation and separation.
• CfP activists from the North Group joined the residents from Shufa Village, near Tulkarem, in the Northern West Bank, for a rally against the wall and settlement expansion. Residents of the village, village councils and local activist groups all called for action. The activities began with Friday prayers. After the prayers, people marched together in a nonviolent demonstration.
• Ramallah – Tel Aviv Meeting: The Israeli Central Group and the Ramallah Palestinian group, met together near Jericho. They spent almost four hours getting to know each other, starting from learning names, They spoke about the hardships at home and outside, that the occupation creates – and they planned activities that will strengthen their community as they work together against the occupation.
• CfP joined Breaking the Silence, Peace Now, Zazim and Standing Together to organize a tour of Hebron, in response to Defense Minister Naftali Bennett’s announcement of a new Jewish neighborhood on the wholesale market grounds in Hebron. Under the current plans, the ground floor of the residential buildings will be reserved as market stalls, but it is unlikely that local Palestinian residents will be able to access the neighborhood. We stood in solidarity with local Palestinian residents in Hebron and will continue to object to these plans which encroach further into Palestinian land

November 2019:

• We are in an organizational restructuring/transformational period, evaluating and re-evaluating the best way to structure both CfP and AFCFP for maximum effectiveness.
• Our local groups are getting stronger. The Bethlehem-Jerusalem met as well as the Ramallah group.
• The theater group started to work on a new project, a filming day in Kfar Mallik. Unfortunately, a group of settlers violently attacked them and prevented them from finishing their film.
• We organized the preparations for a new tree-planting in Kfar Mallik, but because of the settler violence we didn’t feel safe enough to go there. It was planned for the end of November, but we are postponing until preparations can be made to ensure the safety of our activists.
• The Palestinian half of the women’s group hosted an Olive Harvest and launched a plan to rebuild and strengthen the women’s group.
• Tour for tour guides in the Bethlehem area.
• Seminar and tour in cooperation with Breaking the Silence and Ir Amim for tour guides who lead pre-army Israeli teens on tours of Hebron.
• And along with the regular work happening in the Jordan Valley (on a nearly daily basis), we also spent two Saturdays with the movement in the Jordan Valley, working with the local community and Shepherd’s families there.
• One of our leading activists, Galia Golan, gave a lecture in Ramallah to over 500 people.

East Coast Speaking Tour

November 2-14, 2019

Speakers: Tuly Flint & Sulaiman Khatib
Tour Schedule & More Information

October 2019:

• Protest in Kfar Mallik, seeking to protect the village from infringing “out-posts” and land-theft.
• American Friends of CfP “Fellows” Speakers Training Retreat
• Olive Harvest in the village of Haress. Protecting the local community from violence.
• Meeting & Lecture with the “Scouts” Movement Leaders in Israel for Israeli Youth leaders.
• Solidarity visit to the ruins from the Army’s demolition of the Palestinian village of Walaje. Listening to the stories of the local villagers.
• Nonviolent Communication & Nonviolent Action Training Weekend for the Moment activists.
• Speaking at the Music Festival INDINegev to young Israeli party-goers.
• Building a Water Reservoir for a Palestinian community in Hadidia, a community without any access to running water.

Disturbing the Peace Film Screening

Thursday, October 24th, 7pm 2019
West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Rd, Asheville, North Carolina

Lecture by Galia Golan

Friday, September 27
Washington, D.C.
Sponsored by the Foundation for Middle East Peace

Nonviolence Training in Beit Jala

Saturday, September 26
Nonviolence training in Beit Jala with Combatants for Peace activists and our allies. Over 60 people attended the day-long training seminar. Just as Martin Luther King Jr. trained his activists in nonviolence in preparation for their civil resistance, so too, Combatants for Peace follows this model.

Lecture with German Students

September 18
Activists from Combatants for Peace, met two groups of German students in Jerusalem as part our house meetings project, aimed at raising local and international awareness about the occupation and the voice for change. We call upon the international community to join us in advocating for respect of the humanity of all people.

Protest in Kfar Malik

Friday, September 13

Disturbing the Peace Film Screening

Thursday, August 29   7:00 to 9:00 PM
ABQ Friends Meeting House
1600 5th St NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102

Lecture with Italian Students in Jerusalem

August 25th
As part of the CFP House Meetings program, our activists met with a group from Italy in Jerusalem. Members of the movement gave a detailed lecture about CFP’s leading role in the joint nonviolent resistance against the Israeli occupation and for peace.

Protest in Kfar Malik

August 16, 2019
Nonviolent Protest: Combatants for Peace joined in organizing a protest last Friday to speak out against the settlers who are occupying the land of Kufer Malek, a village east of Ramallah. The protesters plan was to organize two more marches: Combatants for Peace will organize one march from outside the village, and at the same time, the local villagers will organize a protest inside the village.
Military troops closed all the roads leading to the village this morning. The official reason for this road closure was to protect an illegal Israeli outpost, which is sitting on stolen, private land. Our activists went out to protest the road closure, and the military responded with rubber bullets and tear gas. Four of our activists were injured, and scores of others were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation. Moreover, the tear gas fired by Israeli troops caused a fire in the nearby crops belonging to the local Palestinian villagers. In the end, the villagers managed bringing in fire trucks and to put out the fire.
At the end of the activity, Governor Abdel Fattah Hamayel gave a speech welcoming the solidarity activists and praised the efforts of activist groups, like  Combatants for Peace, for working against the occupation and settlement expansion. “Today’s activity is the beginning of a peaceful resistance campaign, aimed at stopping the theft of Palestinian land by Israeli settlers,” said Adam Rabie, activity Coordinator at Combatants for Peace. For seven years, settlers from the nearby Kfar Schahar have been expanding their settlement and seizing the (private) land of the village, all while remaining under the protection of Israeli soldiers.

Theater Production in Tel Aviv

August 19th
A theater company in Tel Aviv hosted a screening of Romeo and Juliet, where Juliet was Israeli and Romeo Palestinian. The play was presented in Hebrew and Arabic. Afterwards, the Theater company invited our activists on the stage to talk about their binational work, and their experience in overcoming the walls of separation and hatred and meeting in a place of respect and dignity.

All summer events from June, July & August will be posted here soon… or check out our FB page for more information.

Three-Part Working Member Workshop:
“COMBATANTS FOR PEACE”

Thursday, June 13, 2019 – June 20th, 2019 – June 27th, 2019
7:00pm to 8:30pm
520 Carpenter Ln, Philadelphia, PA

Weavers Way members Sheila Weinberg and Maynard Seider present a three-part workshop on efforts to envision a peaceful, cooperative Palestinian-Israeli partnership. Accomplished authors and scholars, Sheila and Maynard invite other Co-op members along with neighbors and friends to join them for three evenings designed to explore the work of Combatants for Peace. This evening’s initial session will feature a screening of the first half of the acclaimed documentary “Disturbing the Peace,” along with other footage from the ground, which will be followed by a facilitated discussion about conflict resolution and reconciliation. ATTEND ONE, TWO, OR ALL THREE. REGISTER HERE.

Learning Peace Seminar

May 30, 2019
Learning Peace Seminar: “Israel, the Occupation and the Hague” in our Lecture Series “Studying Peace.”
The speakers were Adv. Sawsan Zaher, of Adalah and Adv. Michael Sfard. After the lecture a Palestinian and an Israeli activist spoke about thier personal transforamtion from participating in the circle of violence to non-violent activism, working together to end the occupation and for a peaceful future.

Israeli Activist Detained in the Jordan Valley

May 27, 2019
As a regular part of our regular work with the Jordan Valley coalition we send activists to walk with the Palestinian Shepherds in the Jordan Valley to protect them from Settler and Israeli Military violence. Today, one of our activists was arrested, blindfolded and handcuffed as part of his nonviolent activity. Read That Story Here

Screening of Disturbing the Peace

Congregation Beth Israel, Asheville, NC
May 22, 7pm
Film screening followed by discussion. Free and open to the public
Hosted by our North Carolina Chapter of American Friends of CfP.
Sponsored by Congregation Beth Israel and Congregation Beth ha Tephila.

Lecture for American Students

May 20, 2019
An American Student group spoke to several of our activists in Tel Aviv, hearing their stories of transformation from fighters who took an active part in the cycle of violence to activists who participate in the joint nonviolent struggle against the occupation.

Leading a Tour for Israeli Tour Guides in the West Bank

May 16, 2019
Combatants activists lead a tour for Israeli tour guides in the West Bank, explaining the political situation and showing them the reality of the occupation. See Photos

Protest in Tel Aviv: Demanding a Just Peace with Gaza

May 15, 2019

One year ago, as hospitals in Gaza were overflowing with wounded protesters, the masses in Tel Aviv celebrated Netta Barzilai’s Eurovision victory. This year we will not take part in this absurd and cynical performance. We refuse to continue “business as usual”, while less than 100km away, millions of people on both sides of the fence pay the price of our apathy. On 14 May, marking one year after 64 protestors were shot dead during the Great March of Return Protests in Gaza, we took to the streets to demand an end to the siege on Gaza and a better future for all of us.

Memorial Ceremonies in the USA

May 7 & 8, 2019
Join us at events across the USA to commemorate the joint Memorial Ceremony with Combatants for Peace on Yom Hazikaron (Israeli Memorial Day). Events will be held in NYC, Boston, Washington D.C., Asheville and New Hampshire
Find an Event

Memorial Ceremony
May 7, 2019
www.afcfp.org/Memorial

Lobbying for Permits in the Israeli Supreme Court

May 6, 2019
The Israeli government refused permits for the Palestinians wishing to attend the joint Memorial Ceremony in Tel Aviv. In response our activists took the decision to court, where it was overturned. See the video here.

Conversations with Teens

April 14, 2019
More photos of our activists speaking to Israeli youth.. the systems of segregation: segregated schools and communities, strive to keep people apart. Many (if not most) Israeli teens will have never met a Palestinian before they join the military and serve in the West Bank or at the border of Gaza… this is how the occupation systematically dehumanizes each community to the other. In order to undermine this system, and build a community based on peace and equality, we have to begin to know each other and hear each other’s stories.

Solidarity Visit to Khan Al Ahmar

April 13, 2019
Last year, a broad alliance of activists and diplomatic pressure saved the little Palestinian town of Khan Al Ahmar between Jerusalem and Jericho from being demolished by the Israeli right wing government. Sadly, after very depressing elections in Israel this week, chances increased again that the village will be eliminated soon. We are with the people of Khan Al Ahmar, and told them today: “We support you in any way we can, that you won’t lose your home!”

Meeting with Students

April 12, 2019
Photos Here

Training Weekend for USA Based Activists

April 7, 2019
This weekend we had our first official meeting of Combatants for Peace activists who are living in the USA. We had eight participants spend a weekend together: four Palestinians and four Israelis. We brought in a public speaking coach and trained ourselves in effective public speaking and personal storytelling. After this weekend we are confident that our activists will be able to speak with clarity and confidence about their experiences living under, or participating in, the occupation. They have all undergone incredible transformations from people who (years ago) were resigned to a fate of violence, and now are dedicated peace activists, working together to create change. See Photos

Movie Screening & Q/A in Santa Cruz

April 7, 2019, 2pm PST
Speakers: Nizar Farsakh & Sophie Schor
Click Here for more information

A Day of Activism in the Jordan Valley

April 4, 2019
A day of activism in the Jordan Valley coordinated by the Jordan valley coalition, a partnership of peace activists and organizations such as Taayush, Machsom watch, CFPeace and Dahrma-Activism. The coalition serves to protect Palestinian shepherds from the violence of settlers and soldiers, who often attack when the shepherds take their sheep out to graze. By sending Israeli activists out to walk with the shepherds, it creates a protective presence for them. Photos

Running For Freedom

April 3, 2019
Combatants for Peace activist, Ahmed, running for Freedom in the Palestine Marathon. And Tuly, running in the Tel Aviv Marathon. While Tuly, who is Israeli and Ahmed, who is Palestinian are prevented from running together by their governments – our activists are sending a very clear message: peace, freedom and equal human rights for all will only be achieved when awareness of the importance of this message infuses every aspect of society. Photos

Steering Committee Meeting

April 2, 2019
General Assembly meeting for the whole CfP movement. This is the time to openly discuss and face difficulties between the two sides, strategize difference means of resistance to the occupation, and plan for future events and activities. Open communication is the key to community building and a movement based on mutual trust and respect. There is Another Way! Photos

Theater Group Rehersal

April 1, 2019
Meeting of the Combatants for Peace Theater Group. Photos of a group training in Bethlehem. CFP uses theater both as a tool of nonviolent civil resistance to the occupation and also as a means of building community and overcoming collective trauma. There is Another Way! Photos

Meeting a German Group

March 31, 2019
Combatants for Peace activists spoke with a German group, sharing their personal stories and the work the movement is doing to end the occupation and bring peace to both peoples. Photos

Meeting with the Palestinian Authority

March 30, 2019
A meeting was held in the city of Ramallah between CFP activists and members of the Palestinian Authority. Representing CFP was a group of Palestinian and Israeli activists & leaders in the movement. During the meeting, CFP activits spoke about their joint nonviolent resistance to the occupation. Among other activities, activists spoke about CfP’s House Meetings project, in which CfP activists share their personal stories with local and international youth groups in order to support and advocate for the nonviolent struggle against the occupation and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Photos

Meeting with Israeli teens

March 28 & 29, 2019
Combatants for Peace activists sharing their stories with several groups of Israeli teens before they entered the army. For most of these teens, it is the first time they have ever met a Palestinian or heard the story from someone on the “other” side. See Photos Here and Here

Bethlehem Tour with Israeli teens

March 27, 2019
Combatants for Peace activists met with 55 Israelis and Americans from the Hartman Pre-army program, who came to learn about the occupation and its impact on the local Palestinian community. We toured in Bethlehem, and two CfPeace activists shared their personal stories. Photos

Activists Planning Meeting in the Northern West Bank

March 14, 2019
The Northern Group of Combatants for Peace held its regular meeting in the Wad Al Rasha area in the northern West Bank and met with a number of residents and farmers affected by the Wall. During the meeting CFP activists and the land owners agreed to organize work days to help the local farmers reach their land safely and plant it with olive trees. It was also agreed to work with an Israeli lawyer to help the owners of the land fight the land confiscation practices of the local settlements. Photos

Tour of Hebron

March 13, 2019
Combatants for Peace organized a tour for Israelis to the south Hebron hills area of Yatta and the villages of Al Towani and Um Al Khier. During the tour, CfP activists explained about the continued setters attacks that Palestinian residents in that area face. Last month the military and setters bulldozed lands owned by the local community and destroyed pipelines supplying Yatta and the villages of Al Towani and Um Al Khier residents with water. CfP activists held the tour in order to educate the Israeli public about the occupation, and to express solidarity with the local community. When we, Palestinians and Israelis, stand up together – then together we can create a better world, based on justice and equality. Photos

USA Speaking Tour

February 25-March 8, 2019

Speakers: Michal Hochberg & Osama Elewat
Tour Schedule & More Information

Lectures in Jerusalem

February 23rd, 2019 & March 1, 2019
Lectures with young adult Israeli and Jewish-American Leadership in Jerusalem. Photos here and here.

Planting Trees in the West Bank with Rabbis for Human Rights

February 22, 2019
The southern group in Combatants for Peace held a joint action with US based organization “Rabbis for Human rights” and planted olive trees on lands owned by Palestinian farmers from the village of Um al-Khier in Yatta area, southern West Bank. Last month, activists from CFP and Rabbis for Human rights planted olive trees at the same location but the military came and uprooted the young olive trees the activists had planted. Today we returned and replanted the uprooted trees. Photos

First Theater Group Performance of 2019

February 19, 2019
Combatants for Peace uses theater as a form of activism. Theater of the Oppressed allows people to see and experience the world through the eyes of the “other” and helps us to open our eyes with compassion and awareness. Photos

Olive Tree Planting in the West Bank Village of Al-Rakiz

February 9, 2019
A group of Rabbinical students from the USA, who are working with Rabbis for Human Rights, partnered with Combatants for Peace in a tree planting day in the West Bank Village of Al-Rakiz. This village is in C area, and is a part of a larger area in the south Hebron hills where the local people are being pushed out by the settlers. On December 31st, the Israeli army uprooted 120 olive trees in and around the village. Our activists came out to re-plant them. Photos

Olive Tree Planting in Hebron

February 8, 2019
A number of Palestinian landowners and Combatants for Peace activists suffered effects of tear gas inhalation fired by Israeli troops at participants of a solidarity action of planting olive trees on lands owned by farmers from the town of Beit Ummar – Hebron in southern West Bank. The activity today marked ‘World Agriculture Day.’ Our action also aimed to support the steadfastness of Palestinian farmers facing settlement expansion on their land. The Israeli military intends to confiscate (without compensation) private land near the settlement of Etzion, which is owned by the Aby Ayyash family. We went to the land to plant olive trees there, in support of the family. The area is known to locals as Al-Suda. Video

 Theater Group Workshop

February 8, 2019
Learning about Theater of the Oppressed and using Theater as a form of community building, trauma healing, and nonviolent civil resistance to the occupation. Using art as a form of activism. Photos

 Meeting with Palestinian Students

February 7, 2019
A meeting between CfPeace activists and Palestinian University students. The activists shared their personal stories and spoke of the importance (and effectiveness) of nonviolent civil resistance. Photos

 Tour of Qalkilya Area

February 6, 2019
Last week CfPeace activists led a tour of the Alfei Menashe-Qalkilya area, meeting local Palestinians to hear firsthand to learn about the effect of the separation wall, which often prevents the villagers from accessing their land. One local activist, who CFP helped complete and approve a master plan preventing the demolition of the local school, led us to nearby villages of Azzun, Ras A Tiya, Khirbet Ras Al Tira, and Wadi ar Rasha. Another family invited us to their home, showing us the wall that separates his village from the olive grove his family and other families in the village own. We learned about the hardship that the villagers have to go through when trying to get to their olive groves. We heard about the efforts made by other Israeli peace groups and discussed how we can join forces and coordinate our activities in order to maintain continuous pressure on the Israeli government to allow the Palestinians to reach the land they have been separated from, and cultivate it not only during the olive picking season, but also throughout the year, such that next year’s harvest will be better and more abundant. Photos

 Olive Tree Planting

January 25, 2019
Combatants of Peace South group, together with Rabbis for Human Rights activists arrived this morning with a Tu B’shvat spirit. They planted olive trees in the West Bank, as a message of reconciliation and peace. Settlers in the local community had cut down the trees of local Palestinian farmers, and our activists came out to replant them. When they destroy – we build. When they offer destruction and ruin, we offer a common future an the building of a life together. We will create hope in this place. Photos

 Children’s Day in the Jordan Valley

January 12, 2019
Video of the Children’s Day organized by the Combatants for Peace Women’s Group in the Jordan Valley. Helping children thrive, despite desperate circumstances. The women held an educational and entertainment day for the children for al Oja Bedouin community in Jericho. During the day, CFP activists taught the children about the importance of cleaning their teeth and then handed out toothpaste and toothbrushes to the children. The women also presented a theater performance and a children’s dance class, complete with face paint for the kids. At the end of the day, the CFP women group handed out gifts and toys to the children.

Lecture with American Students

January 9, 2019
CFP met a group of students from Harvard. Our activists shared their personal stories & the work they are doing to end the occupation and work for peace. When we humanize the “enemy” – and see the humanity in the “other” we will naturally treat each other with respect and dignity.

Olive Tree Planting in Hebron

January 7, 2019
CFP activists and villagers from Al Mofakara community near Hebron, planted more than 50 olive trees today that were donated by Combatants for Peace. Construction instead of Destruction. Photos

Meeting with Israeli teens

January 3, 2019
Combatants for Peace activists met with Israeli students in Jerusalem today. Representing CFP were, Moran and Adam. Members of the movement spoke about their personal stories and about the movement’s ongoing activity in joint nonviolent resistance against the Israeli occupation. The meeting ended with a discussion between the members of the movement and the audience.

Protecting Communities & Preventing Illegal Outposts

December 24, 2018
During the night settlers built a new outpost in the West Bank, on the outskirts of Batir Town, not far from Beit Jalla (Bethlehem Area), in Area C. Last Wednesday settlers came with heavy machinery and started making a road to this new outpost. Combatants Activists, Galia, Jamil and Tuli were there and took photos and called the civil administration to demand the settlers be removed. The civil administration made the settlers leave because they had no legal documents commissioning the outpost – and clearly did not own the land. In that incident the police confiscated one of our activists phones and deleted all his photos and videos of the outpost. Luckily he managed to forward it out before that (see the images below). The community in Batir have been working this land for centuries and remember paying taxes for the land to the Turkish during the Ottoman Empire. This morning the outpost was removed, but we expect this might only be “round one” and that the settlers will likely come back. On the 28th of December Combatants for Peace plans to do an action in Batir, to show solidarity with the villagers and help them to protect their land. Photos

Talk with Activists at IKAR

December 15, 2019
Los Angeles, CA
More Information

Rebuilding Homes that were Demolished

December 12, 2018
Its getting to be winter and Palestinians in the Jordan valley are continually forced to leave their homes and their lands. Today, together with our Jordan Valley Coalition, we built a tent for a family of twelve in order to protect them for the upcoming rainy season and to show solidarity in face of the forced evictions from their lands. Photos

Building Rainwater Harvesting Systems for Communities without Running Water

December 3, 2018
Combatants for Peace built rainwater-harvesting channels in Khalat Makhoul and the Haddiya, two communities in the Jordan Valley that are denied access to running water. We built two water harvesting wells, cleaned the waterways, and built two new pathways, lined with cement in order to help these families collect and store rain water from the winter/rainy season. Photos

Solidarity Protest with Adnan Ghayith, Jerusalem Governor

Wednesday November 28th, at The Hizma Roundabout on 3:30 PM
Palestinian National organizations and collations in Jerusalem invites you join the solidarity Protest with Adnan Ghayith. Jerusalem’s Governor Adnan Ghayith was arrested by Israeli occupation forces earlier in the week without any reason; he is among nearly two dozen Palestinian leaders who were detained by the occupation since the start of this week.

Building Water Reservoirs in the West Bank

November 24, 2018
We set out to Halat Machul and Hadidiya. A month ago, before the rains began, we dug water tunnels in Halat Machul. Now it was time to plaster and reinforce them so they will hold up throughout the winter. In addition, we dug new water tunnels for the neighboring Hadida community which has undergone demolition by the army this past week. This community has remained without shelter, now that the winter is here. In addition to the humanitarian aspect, we do these actions as part of our ongoing struggle against expulsion of Palestinian population from their land, and promotion of their right to hold on to their land and profit from it and from it’s natural resources such as rain water.

Tour in Germany

November 10-25, 2018
Tour with Combatants activists throughout Germany. We talked to students, activists, human rights organizations, teachers, politicians and government officials to spread our message! We want to thank each one of you for welcoming us with such open hearts and support our way of creating an alternative reality for Israelis and Palestinans alike!

Two Day Theater Workshop

November 10 & 11, 2018
The Combatants for Peace Theater group conducted a two-day workshop for CfP members to learn how theater can be used as a nonviolent activist tool.

A Reason For Hope, Tour in Israel and Palestine

Tour For Americans and Internationals
November 2-11, 2018
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Building a Playground

November 10, 2018
Combatants activists will be building a playground adjacent to a school for Palestinian children in Area C, in the Jordan Valley. The Israeli military controls this region (60% of the West Bank), but offers no resources for these children. Our effort will provide them a safe place to play while at school. Please use our contact page and let us know if you would like to attend.

Run for Freedom

November 4, 2018
Just as Gandhi walked to bring an end to the occupation of India in the Great Salt March, activists all over the world are running to bring awareness and attention to the occupation of Palestine. Everyone, all over the world is welcome to run with us. You can join our cause if you are an experienced marathoner or are only able to run a few miles. Read more…

A Reason For Hope, Tour in Israel and Palestine

November 2-11, 2018

More Information
Register

Olive Harvest

October 26, 2018
Combatants activists will be working with a Palestinian community in the West Bank to harvest their olives. The presence of the activists not only aids the harvest, but protects the community from violence by either the military or settlers. Please use our contact page and let us know if you would like to attend.

Nablus Tour

October 26, 2018
CFPs Tel Aviv/Nablus Group invites you on a tour to the area of Nablus, to see the reality of the occupation and learn what you can do against it. We will talk about the settlements in the area and meet with our Palestinian activists to learn how it is to live a life under occupation. The bus leaves from in front of Tel Aviv Savidor Train Station (Central Station) at 9:00, we return approx. at 16:00. The tour does not go through restricted areas and security coordination is not required. Join us!

Sit-In in Khan Al Ahmar

July-October 2018
Join us in Khan al Ahmar, as activists prepare for the imminent destruction of the village and the local school by the Israeli army. The Israeli courts have given the green light to the demolition, and activists are standing by to block the bulldozers with their bodies; record, publicize and call attention to this needless destruction; and as much as possible, protect the villagers from violence. Approximately 180 families live in this village, and a similar number of children depend on the local school. The military is destroying this Bedouin community in order to make way for a new Jewish settlement (a Jewish-only, gated community). This move is not only harmful and hurtful to the local villagers and children, but it also further jeopardizes the possibility of a peaceful solution, undermines the possibility of a free Palestinian State and it destroys the viability of a two-state solution – and of course it is also completely illegal under international law!
Help us Save Khan al Ahmar and protect the people of Palestine AND Israel!

Building a Playground

October 20, 2018
The work began on a playground in Jib el Dib, a Palestinian community near Bethlehem. The movement will be building a playground for a local school – providing the children a safe place to play outside. The playground will be finished November 1oth.

Steering Committee Meeting

October 19, 2018
We are living in times where it is very easy to get frustrated. The ongoing crisis in Gaza, the ongoing threat of demolition of Khan al Ahmar and other Palestinian villages, settlement expansions, the rise of right-wing ideas in our societies. We took the time in our steering committee to reflect on our strategy and our way. Challenges are huge but we all feel that being silent is not an option. So we took new energy and continue our way of creating an alternative reality and meetings like this give us hope and motivation, that it is possible!

EU Delegation Tour

October 18, 2018
A tour for an EU delegation from different countries, hosted by three Combatants activists in the region of Diar Estia and Wadi Qana in northern West Bank. The delegation was briefed on the theft of land and water by the settlers. Members of the movement also presented their personal stories. The meeting ended by answering questions by the audience.

Olive Harvest

October 13, 2018
Combatants activists will be working with a Palestinian community in the West Bank to harvest their olives. The presence of the activists not only aids the harvest, but protects the community from violence by either the military or settlers. Please use our contact page and let us know if you would like to attend.

Talk with Human Rights Monitors

October 12, 2018
Combatants activists spoke with dozens of international volunteers who came to Israel/Palestine as part of the Ecumencial Accompaniment Programme in Israel and Palestine. The volunteers serve as human rights monitors who witness life under occupation and go home to promote change. The volunteers undergo a month-long training and it was within that framework that CFP activists spoke to them. Our activists told their personal stories, and through those stories, the current situation in Israel and Palestine and how CFP seeks to intervene in it. Following that meeting 50 members of the group visited Khan al Ahmar and talked at length with several more CfP activists who have been a part of the ongoing solidarity presence there.

Learning Peace Seminar

October 6, 2018
On the occasion of the release of the book “Emptied Lands”, Combatants for Peace invites you to a special LEARNING PEACE event in Haifa next Saturday. Prof. Sandy Kedar from the faculty of Law at Haifa University will speak about “The new National Law and Land Policy in Israel”. We discussed if the new Nation-State Law will create a change in Israel’s land policy.

Olive Harvest

October 6, 2018
Combatants activists will be working with a Palestinian community in the West Bank to harvest their olives. The presence of the activists not only aids the harvest, but protects the community from violence by either the military or settlers. Please use our contact page and let us know if you would like to attend.

Balloons & Protest Tent in Khan al Ahmar & Kfar Adumim Settlement

October 2, 2018
What a day in Khan Al Ahmar! Settlers from the nearby Kfar Adumim Settlement released their waste water to Khan Al Ahmar. In a symbolic act we filled this sewage water in bottles and brought it back to the settlers. We opened a protest tent in front of the settlement asking to immediately stop this aggression. We released hundreds of balloons from Khan al Ahmar, demanding the cancellation of the demolition. These balloons are expected to land all over Israel. We marched, Palestinians and Israelis together on the main highway to let everyone know what is going on in this village. We will not be silenced! And we wont stop until the people in Khan Al Ahmar have a guarantee that they can stay!

Letter to German Chancellor Merkel

October 1, 2018
German Chancellor Merkel is coming to Jerusalem tomorrow. We wrote her a letter on the upcoming demolition of Khan al Ahmar:

Dear Mrs. Chancellor, Dr. Angela Merkel,
we warmly welcome You to Jerusalem! We, Israelis and Palestinians, all former fighters in the endless wars our region has gone through, would like to address you with urgency regarding the village of Khan Al Ahmar. We call upon you to also listen to us, a vivid civil society of Israelis and Palestinians, who work for equality and justice for our both peoples on the ground.

While you are dining with Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu and consult within the Israeli Knesset, you should know that at the same time, there are people living in constant fear of losing their homes. In the next days, a village for hundreds of Palestinian Bedouins and a school for more than 100 students, will be demolished and the people forcefully evicted – just half an hour from Jerusalem.
Khan al Ahmar has become a symbol of hope in the civil, non-violent resistance against Israeli settlement policies. We, members of Combatants for Peace, together with many internationals, and other Israeli and Palestinian civil society organizations, have been present in Khan Al Ahmar since weeks, around the clock, to protect the village from demolition.

It is even more than “just” demolishing the homes of dozens of families – it creates another hard fact on the ground, and the Israeli settlement policy, illegal by international law, would move a big step forward, if the demolition takes place. The occupied territories would be basically split in two parts, if the village gets demolished and the surrounding settlements get extended.
With appreciation, we have followed the statement of the European Union to immediately stop the demolition order for Khan Al Ahmar, but we are in times, where lose statements do not help anymore.

We see Germany as an influential friend of our Jewish-Israeli society, and as a friend of our Palestinian people. Therefore, we call upon you to convince the Israeli government to stop the demolition of the village of Khan al Ahmar. This is in the interest of all of us who believe in
coexistence and peace for Palestinians and Israelis alike. History has taught us, violence leads to nothing more than even more desperation, frustration and more violence.
We invite you to meet with us and listen to our personal stories. We have served in the Israeli army and we were fighters in the violent Palestinian resistance. We all understood that this endless circle of destruction does not lead to anything. We all went through a deep personal transformation which formed the basis for our movement “Combatants for Peace”. Today, it is the largest, joint Israeli-Palestinian peace movement. We work towards another reality in our region every day, where Israelis and Palestinians live side by side in peace and dignity, with equal rights for all. Clearly, the occupation is the biggest obstacle in achieving that. Please help us to make our dream come true!

In November, 19th – 23rd, representatives of Combatants for Peace will come to Berlin. We would love to get in touch with you and convince you that there is another way. A way of hope for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

With our highest esteem,
In peace from Israel and Palestine,
Combatants for Peace

Read More in Haaretz

Drawing a Smile

September 20-21, 2018
Combatants for Peace organized a recreational activity for the children of Khan al Ahmar called “Drawing a Smile on Children’s Faces”. Thursday, Combatants activists brought face paint to decorate the children’s faces, and one activist dressed up as Micky Mouse and danced with the kids. Even the adults of the community joined in – as did a film crew for Al Jazeera. On Friday morning, 21.09.2018, CFP activists and Khan Al Ahmar children painted and decorated car tires and then everyone then moved to a nearby hilltop overlooking the community, and drew “Khan Al Ahmar” in Arabic letters with stones, and painted them. Later on, the activists went to the Al-Khan Al-Ahmar school where Micky came back and put on a nice show for the children. The children were also given drawing books and crayons to play with. The activity ended just before the midday prayers Friday with activists of CFP handing out toys for the children. This activity aimed to alleviate the effects of the occupation on children and support the steadfastness of the people. The military has decided to demolish the Khan Al Ahmar School and the surrounding Bedouin community. The Bedouins were first displaced by the occupation in 1948 from their original areas in the Negev. Since the occupation began implementing the plan to deport the Al-Khan Al-Ahmar community, CFP activists, both Palestinians and Israelis, have been present to support the steadfastness of the people there.

Building a Water Reservoir

September 16, 2018
Combatants for Peace activists spent the day in the region of Tubas (in the northern West Bank) building a water reservoir for the local Palestinian community. While the settlers and army bases around the village enjoy their fresh, clean water right from the tap, the Palestinians have no access to running water and depend on collecting the rain water in the desert. Clean, safe water access is a human right.

Demanding Freedom of Movement

September 9, 2018
Combatants for Peace activists, in cooperation with a number of anti-occupation & Peace building NGOs organized a protest on Sunday in support of Palestinian farmers from the village of Kafel Haris, in front of Ariel settlement in the northern West Bank. Protesters demanded the farmers rights to reach their land near the settlement. More than two months ago, the new security chief of Ariel decided to prevent local farmers from reaching their own land, which is planted with olive trees. The activists and farmers demanded that the farmers be allowed farmers to reach their lands, especially as the olive harvest season approaches! The Olive harvest supports the livelihood of 25,000 Palestinian families from different parts of the West Bank. After more than two hours of demonstrations, the soldiers agreed to allow farmers to pass, and agreed to allow for permanent access in the future.

Protest in Qalqas, West Bank

September 7
Denying Freedom of movement is WRONG. Combatants for Peace will stand up for what is RIGHT. Dozens of activists from Combatants for Peace joined the residents of Qalqas village, in south of Hebron, in a march demanding the opening the village entrance, which the Israeli military closed for the last 14 years. Friday prayers were held near the dirt barrier erected by the occupation, and then the participants gathered at the closed entrance of the village where Israeli soldiers prevented them from reaching the nearby Road 60. The participants chanted anti-occupation slogans and demanded the opening of the street. “The closure of this street causes permanent suffering to the residents and it is a clear violation of human rights. There is no justification for the occupation to keep this street closed. So we will continue our resistance until the entrance to the village is open. “Adam Rabee, the Palestinian activities coordinator of CFP. Since 2002, the Israeli occupation has closed the main entrance leading to the village from road 60, mainly used by Israeli settlers, forcing residents to use a 30 kilometer road to reach Hebron. The closure of the entrance to the village impedes the movement of residents to and from their work, exposes school-aged children to car “accidents” by settlers and obstructs the access of health services to the village. This week, after years of court cases, the Israeli court decided to keep the road closed.

Protest in Khan Al Ahmar

September 7th, 2018
CFP members joined scores of local, international and Israeli activist in the Friday prays and a protest in Khan Al Ahmar Bedouin community. This week, the Israeli military court decided to give the green light to the army to demolish the Bedouin community in the Al Khan Al Ahmar area located between Jerusalem and Jericho in the Central West Bank. CFP have joined dozens of activists from other institutions and residents of the area since July 2018. Israeli bulldozers began to build roads in the Al Khan Al Ahmar area in preparation for the destruction and deportation of the Bedouin population. The region is home to more than 50 Bedouin families. In June, the Israeli occupation forces attacked the demonstrators, injuring more than 12 civilians, including one from CFP. The occupation also arrested three foreign solidarity activists during the protests. Since June, the occupation authorities have decided to demolish their homes and deport them to an area next to a garbage dump outside of Jerusalem that the department of health has deemed unfit for human habitation. The children’s school in Khan Al Ahmar serves nearly 200 children, all of these children will be left without a school. The Bedouins of the Al-Khan Al-Ahmar area were originally displaced from the Negev in 1948.

Solidarity Tour with Breaking the Silence

September 2nd, 2018
The tour visited the settler outpost of Mitzpe Yair in the occupied South Hebron Hills, where settlers violently attacked six human rights activists from Ta’ayush last week. The Israeli army first tried to stop the tour through a military order and later, when we arrived, detained Breaking the Silence director Avner Gvaryahu, Achiya Schatz as well as human rights attorney Michael Sfard.

50+ Backpacks & School Supplies for Bedouin Children

August 30, 2018
Marking the new school year of 2018/2019 the Jericho-Jerusalem group of Combatants for Peace handed-out more than 50 school bags full of school supplies to children at a number of Bedouin communities in the Jordan valley in the central West Bank. These children would otherwise have no access to school supplies and the CFP activist came to support their right to education, despite living through with school and home demolitions, frequent confiscation of their family’s livestock and lack of water access.

Bethlehem Tour

August 17, 2018
Combatants activists, in partnership with the Parents Circle, led a tour of the Bethlehem area to show Israelis the reality of the situation in the occupied areas. In order for healing to take place and human rights to be established, the truth of the occupation must be revealed. There is no other way.

Protest of the Nation-State Law

August 12, 2018
Combatants for Peace activists join tens of thousands of protesters in Rabin Square to protest the racist nation-state law. We demand equality for ALL people, regardless of race or religion!!! This was the largest joint protest of Jews and Arabs in the history of israel. There Is Another Way!

There have been massive demonstrations in Tel Aviv against the recently enacted a new Basic Law known as the “Nation-State” law. As Israel has no written constitution, a number of Basic Laws have been enacted over the years which are difficult to change and serve as a constitution.
The protests to the Nation-State law revolve around it prioritizing Jewish citizens, omitting even the word equality (or democracy) from the law as it lays out the official language, symbols, holidays and building preference for Jews, ignoring mention of minority citizens of the state. It does mention Arabic, which has been demoted from an official language to one of “special” status. In essence, the Nation State Law divides the citizenry, prioritizing Jewish citizens while ignoring non-Jewish minorities, most notably the 20% of Israelis who are Arabs.