News of the Sumarin Family, Demolitions, Webinars & more

ICAHD UK has been campaigning on behalf of the Sumarin family for nearly two years because they are symbolic of what is happening to hundreds of Palestinian families that reside in East Jerusalem, an area that was occupied by Israel in 1967. Israel’s aim is to clear locations of Palestinians so that they can be replaced by Israeli Jews. This is part of Israel’s settler colonial policy which in most cases is spearheaded by the Jewish National Fund and its subsidiary Himanuta in support of settler organisations. Background information about the family can be found on our website . Palestine Solidarity Campaign has prepared an e-action to enable campaigners to send a prepared letter directly to your MP. It can be found on this link. Alternatively, you may like to prepare your own individual letter. Find your MP here . Register for forthcoming webinars

Israel's deepening regime of apartheid: What can we do?

ICAHD USA Webinar Is Zionism Settler Colonialism? Why does it matter? Saturday, 22nd January, 8pm (UK time) Dr Arnon Degani, Hebrew University’s Avraham Harman Research Center Jeff Halper, Director, ICAHD Dr Elliot Ratzman, Chair in Jewish Studies, Earlham College

Details will be available on the ICAHD website shortly. December's Demolition and Displacement Report Photo: Akram al Waara of Marwa & Maher al-Atrash with their son on 28 Dec at Qalqa, near Hebron At the end of 2021, the total number of demolitions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem came to 937, with 1208 Palestinians displaced and another 12,620 people directly affected. The planned demolition of whole communities will make 2022 an even more devastating year for Palestinian families in the West Bank, and a challenge for us in ICAHD to increase our work of raising awareness of Israel’s policies of demolition, land theft and ethnic cleansing, and the settler colonial project that underpins them.

In the agricultural village of Al Walaja (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-barrier-idUSKBN20E1FN ) for example, 3 households lost agricultural infrastructure during December. This is a community, located between West Jerusalem and Bethlehem, that has been suffered profoundly under the imposition of Israeli planning law since 1967, when it was annexed by Israel. Between 2020 and 2021, 25 structures were demolished in the village for lack of a building permits and the majority of homes in the village are subject to demolition orders. To make matters even worse, the whole village is cut in two by Israel’s ‘Separation Barrier’, cutting villagers off from their land with devastating consequences.

December’s statistics show no fewer than 6 entries for Silwan in East Jerusalem -all but one of family homes. This demonstrates Israel's ongoing programme of the ‘Judaisation ‘of East Jerusalem by systematic ethnic cleansing of Palestinian communities. In the case of Silwan, Palestinians are being evicted to make way for a biblical theme park. Photo: Nasar family children watching the demolition of their home on 11^th December, Wadi Qadum, Silwan In the Christian world and beyond, the word Bethlehem conjures up images of the Nativity and Christmas celebrations. This month’s statistics include 4 entries for communities around Bethlehem who have suffered loss and displacement through Israel’s policies. To those working to support Palestinian communities in the West Bank therefore, it will also conjure up tragic images of families deprived of their homes, land and means of livelihood.

Monica Wusteman

For background information see ICAHD’s statement here . If you have not already done so, there are two actions to be taken. Firstly, please sign this petition prepared by Avaaz -

Secondly, ask your MP to sign Early Day Motion 59067 about Israel’s criminalisation of six Palestinian NGOs. Governments must step up to the plate and speak out.

Saturday, 22 January – ICAHD USA Webinar - Is Zionism Settler Colonialism? Why does it matter? - Dr Arnon Degani, Jeff Halper and Dr Elliot Ratzman. Details will be available via our website shortly.

Saturday, 22 January at 3.45 (UK) – Café Palestine- UK Palestine Mental Health Network presents Psychoanalysis Under Occupation: Practicing Resistance in Palestine. Join the webinarhere .

Saturday, 23 April 2022 – ICAHD UK Annual Conference – Amnesty Human Rights Centre, London – mark your diary and details to follow