Indigenous people around the world have faced ethnic cleansing and other forms of oppression for centuries. Despite these challenges, they have shown remarkable resilience and resourcefulness in their struggles to survive and thrive.

In this event, Jamal Juma’ and Sami  will share their insights on organizing Palestinian communities facing daily threats of house demolition and ethnic cleansing. Isolated and deprived of their most basic needs and rights, these communities have been coming together like with the campaign “Stop the Wall” and the organization “Youth of Sumud”, mobilizing their limited resources in creative ways to resist military guns, bulldozers and settler violence.

As November 9 will mark the beginning of the International Week of Solidarity Against the Apartheid Wall, this event will also be an opportunity to reflect on the role, good or bad, that international solidarity can play and how communities can stay in control of their struggles.

The LCN is a non-violent, pro-democracy organization. We believe in the sanctity of all lives, and we believe the loss of all lives is tragic and needs to be avoided at all costs.

Event Information:

  • Type: Campaign showcase
  • Topic: indigenous rights, human rights, international solidarity
  • Cost: Open & Free to everyone
  • Date: November 9th, 2023
  • Time: 10 am ET / 5 pm Palestine / 7:30 IST
  • Location: Online

Speakers & presenters

Jamal Juma’
Jamal Juma’Jamal is the Coordinator of the Palestinian grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign (Stop the Wall), secretariat member of the BDS National Committee (BNC), and executive committee member of the New Unions
Sami Huraini
Sami Huraini Sami Huraini is a Palestinian human rights defender and a board member of the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee (PSCC), a committee that opposes the extension of the illegal Israeli settlement through peaceful demonstrations. Sami Huraini is also a member of the grassroots initiative 'Youth of Sumud', an initiative that was established to peacefully resist the Israeli occupation and the illegal Israeli settlements in Southern Hebron. Sami Huraini has also been involved in protecting the Palestinian civilians from settlers attacks, by escorting Palestinian children to schools and accompanying Palestinian farmers to their lands close to the green line. He is a winner of Front Line Defenders Award of 2021.

What you will learn

In this event, you will:

  • Learn about the challenges faced by Palestinian communities facing daily threats of house demolition and ethnic cleansing.
  • Learn about the organizing strategies and tactics used by Palestinian communities to resist military guns, bulldozers, and settler violence.
  • Reflect on the role, good or bad, that international solidarity can play in supporting Palestinian communities’ struggles.
  • Gain inspiration from the resilience and resourcefulness of Palestinian communities.

Other events in this series

Questions & answers

Stop the Wall is a popular campaign launched in 2002 to resist the construction of the Israeli apartheid wall. The campaign led to the creation of dozens of popular committees all across the West Bank, on the frontline of the Wall, using a variety of tactics anchored in a tradition of civil disobedience to stop the wall and to limit its terrible consequences for villagers.

Read more about Stop the Wall: https://www.stopthewall.org/ 

The Israeli apartheid wall is a system of physical barriers along the Green Line, the boundary between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian West Bank. The barrier includes a combination of concrete walls, fences, electronic surveillance, trenches, and berms. The Israeli government has argued that the barrier is necessary for security purposes. However, its length (708 km upon completion) is more than double the length of the Green Line, and runs deep inside the occupied West Bank, constituting a de facto annexation of Palestinian land and a violation of international law.

The barrier has a number of consequences on the Palestinian people. It has fragmented the West Bank into isolated cantons, making it difficult for Palestinians to move freely and to access basic services such as education, healthcare, and employment. The barrier has also led to the confiscation of Palestinian land and the destruction of homes and livelihoods creating a physical barrier between families and communities. It has made it difficult for farmers to access their land and has led to the loss of agricultural productivity. The barrier has also had a terrible impact on the environment. It has led to the uprooting of over 800,000 olive trees according to sources, as well as the disruption of the migration patterns of wildlife and the destruction of fragile ecosystems.

In 2004, the International Court of Justice ruled that the barrier is illegal and that it must be dismantled. However, the Israeli government has refused to comply with this ruling and the international community has not taken any action to enforce it.

Youth of Sumud (Youth of Resilience) is a grassroots political formation founded in 2017 by young Palestinians from the Masafer Yatta region of the South Hebron Hills to resist Israeli settler colonialism. Despite being home to a number of Palestinian villages, Masafer Yatta was declared a military firing zone by the Israeli Occupation army. As a result, Palestinian villages are facing the daily threats of demolitions and expulsion. Youth of Sumud has been organizing their community to increase its resilience and ability to remain on their ancestral lands and live their lives with dignity.

Read more: https://youthofsumud.org/

Palestinian communities in Masafer Yatta, a desert region in the southern West Bank occupied by Israel, are facing imminent expulsion from their homes to make way for Israeli military training. In May 2022, the Israeli High Court of Justice ruled that there were no legal barriers to the planned expulsion, effectively placing the residents at risk of forced evictions, arbitrary displacement, and forcible transfer, which are all prohibited under international law.

Since the court ruling, Israeli authorities have increased their pressure on the residents of Masafer Yatta, issuing demolition orders for homes and infrastructure, and conducting military training in and around the villages, including with live ammunition and tanks. This has created a coercive environment for the residents, and many have already been forced to leave their homes.

The residents of Masafer Yatta have been living in the area for generations, and have deep ties to the land. They are predominantly herders and farmers, and their livelihoods depend on their access to the land. The expulsion of the residents of Masafer Yatta would have a devastating impact on their lives and livelihoods, and would also constitute a war crime under international law.

The international community has condemned the Israeli government’s plans to expel the residents of Masafer Yatta, and has called on Israel to respect the rights of the residents and to allow them to remain in their homes. However, the Israeli government has ignored these calls, and appears determined to proceed with the expulsion.

Signup

Contact person for this event series

Céline Lebrun Shaath
Céline Lebrun ShaathCommunity of Practice Program Manager

For more information about this event please contact  Céline Lebrun Shaath

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