For the second time in six months, 45 Jewish activists from across North America gathered in Israel-Palestine to stand in coresistance with our Palestinian and Israeli partners. Over nine days, we learned, worked, and connected with partners in the South Hebron Hills, East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Givat Amal, Abu Kbir and Lyd/Lod. Together, we laid concrete, painted murals, rehabilitated land, planted trees, reclaimed a freshwater spring and built relationships rooted in resistance that will carry this work forward.
On Friday January 3rd, our long-standing network of Palestinians, Israelis and internationals came together to reclaim a historical Palestinian spring in the occupied territories, which has been taken over by a nearby settlement outpost in the South Hebron Hills. Our work restored Palestinian access to this historic water source, which communities have not been able to access in recent years due to settler harassment.
Together we reclaimed the Ein Albeida spring, affirming Palestinian water-rights specifically at this spring, and also more generally across the West Bank.
In contrast to our joint project in Bir il-Eid in May 2019, the army did not stop us from completing our project. We attribute this to our sheer numbers and history of active refusal to be deterred.
On this day we joined in partnership with The Rural Women’s Association of the South Hebron Hills, the At-Tuwani Women’s Cooperative, Youth of Sumud, the Sumud Protection Committee, the Good Shepherd Collective, activists from communities across the South Hebron Hills, and All That’s Left: Anti-Occupation Collective.
Activists also joined in community co-resistance projects in Umm al-Khair, A-Tuwani, Sarura and Susiya in the South Hebron Hills, Batan al-Hawa and Issawiya in East Jerusalem, and Givat Amal, Abu Kbir and Lydd/Lod in Israel proper.
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English Media:
- Activists Reclaimed a Water Source for Palestinians, Showing Co-Resistance Works – Truthout, Oren Kroll-Zeldin
- Palestinian, Israeli and diaspora Jewish activists reclaim spring seized by settlers – +972, Oren Ziv
- After 15 years, Palestinians finally visit prized spring – Mondoweiss, Miriam Deprez
- A Visit to Ein Albeida Spring in West Bank Exposes Truth About Oppression – Detroit Jewish News, Lisa Tencer
- What I Saw in Area C – J Street Blog, Robin Podolsky