Alice's Fight against Settlers Land Theft

Dear Friends,

My name is Alice, and my family and I are the proud owners of AlMakhrour Land in Beitjala. Our land is not just a piece of earth—it is the heart of our family's history, struggles, and dreams. But recently, on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, armed settlers, backed by police, attempted to evict us from our land. We refused to leave, standing firm in nonviolent resistance alongside a few brave activists from Israel and the West Bank.

When the Israeli soldiers arrived, we presented the land deed, which the Israeli Civil Administration itself issued. But it didn't matter. The soldiers sided with the settlers and issued a "closed military area order," allowing six settlers to remain while my family, along with the rest of us, were forced off the land. As we stood our ground, the soldiers violently removed us, ignoring our legal rights and humanity.

Since then, my family and many dedicated volunteers have returned daily, providing unarmed civilian protection (UCP). Each time we approached the land—on August 2nd, August 8th, and many other days—the army responded violently. Stun grenades were thrown to clear us, media personnel were arrested, and both my brother, Jad, and I received restraining orders.

On September 4th, more than 50 soldiers came and demolished our solidarity camp, seizing our tent and even taking away the remote bathroom. Despite these attacks, we refuse to give up. We will set up another camp to stay on our land 24/7 until justice prevails.

Our family is deeply connected to this land in every way. In 2012, we built a home and a restaurant here, only to watch them be demolished by the Israeli army in 2019. Each time we rebuilt—in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2019—we took loans, which have left us struggling with debt to this day. Losing our business cost us millions, and we now live in a rented house. Legal battles drained us further, and I even suffered a motorcycle accident while trying to cover the fees, resulting in the loss of my leg, now replaced with a metal prosthesis.

But the emotional toll has been just as heavy. My nephew, born in 2015, has witnessed all this unfold on the land he loves and was raised on. He was there on July 31st when the settlers attacked, and they cruelly destroyed his toys, smashing them to pieces and throwing them outside the land. This land, where he played and grew up, has become a place of fear and loss for him and our family.

We are an Arab Christian family with Israeli citizenship, but we are also French citizens. Despite this, we continue to face the relentless aggression of settlers and the Israeli army. Living in tents and facing repeated demolitions, the psychological burden on my nephew, my parents, and myself has been overwhelming. The violence, stress, and financial pressure caused by protecting our land have left us unable to work, pushing us further into debt.

Please, stand with us. Please help us keep our land and protect our family. Your support—no matter how small—makes a difference in our fight against injustice and oppression. We will not give up, and with your help, we can continue to resist, rebuild, and survive.

Thank you for standing with us in solidarity.