Support Palestinians in Umm-Al-Khair, Masafer Yatta!

URGENT UPDATE: 6/27/24

Yesterday morning the Israeli army raided the village of Umm Al-Khair and destroyed at least 11 homes and structures in the village, including its community tent. The new cover photo above shows a picture of just some of the damage from the demolition. 40 people in the village are now newly homeless and the need is greater than ever! Please share this fundraiser widely: the people of Umm Al-Khair need us more than ever!

ADDENDUM UPDATE 6/28/24

Thank you so much to all of our generous donors! The people of Umm-Al-Khair are floored by your support. We did not initially expect this much traffic and set a fundraising goal that was less than the post-demolition costs the village needed to cover. We have raised our goal in hopes of raising enough to fully meet the needs of the village.

Background

My name is Jonah, and I am a Jewish activist against Israeli apartheid from the United States. On a solidarity trip to Israel/Palestine in 2022, I had the transformative experience of visiting the Palestinian village of Umm Al-Khair, located in the Masafer Yatta region and Area C of the Occupied West Bank, which is under full Israeli civil and military control. The residents of Umm Al-Khair are some of the kindest people I have a ever met, and a model of resilience in the face of occupation and ethnic cleansing. Their ancestors were expelled from their homes in what is now Israel in 1948 before purchasing the land of their current village. Several decades later, much of their land was confiscated by the Israeli government in order to create a Jewish-only settlement adjacent to the village.

Today, Umm Al-Khair is under constant threat of demolition and expulsion as the State of Israel seeks to confine Area C Palestinians into ever smaller areas. The residents of the settlement--just a 2 minute walk away--live in swanky modern homes with government-supplied electricity and running water; Umm Al-Khair residents lack permits to build a sufficient number of permanent structures, regularly purchase overpriced tanks for their water, and rely on donated solar panels for limited electricity. The stark contrast between the settlement and Umm Al-Khair is one of the clearest views of Israel's apartheid system.

Since October 7, the situation in Umm Al-Khair has become worse than residents can ever remember, and the village's neediest families, all of whom have lost their sources of income due to Israeli travel restrictions and settler violence, urgently need our support.

More On the Current Situation in Umm Al-Khair from a Nonviolent Activist and Village Leader

"Umm Al-Khair has long suffered under occupation and the terrorism of its settlers. This plight didn't start on October 7th; it dates back to the 1980s. Over time, life became increasingly difficult, but the situation worsened dramatically after the war on Gaza began, allowing Israeli settlers to exploit the lack of accountability.

Many families lost their livelihoods, with some who previously worked inside Israel rendered jobless due to the blockade on the West Bank and the blocking from entering the checkpoints to Israel. Others, particularly shepherds, faced relentless targeting by settlers and the occupation forces. In the last three years alone, they lost almost all of their grazing lands, with settlers now occupying even the remaining 10%. These same settlers have tightened their grip on our lives and now bringing their cattle grazing within the village limits, attacking us, and terrorizing our families.

Umm Al-Khair, a village of 35 families and 250 people, has been repeatedly demolished, with over 80 buildings razed since 2007. The threat of further demolitions looms over the remaining structures, leaving us in constant fear of homelessness. Settler violence has left many, like Mohammad Hathaleen, disabled and traumatized. Land theft compounds our struggles, with more than 60% of our ancestral lands stolen so far. Our community stands at a critical juncture, with little hope left. Many have lost their means of livelihood, pushing us to the brink. We implore you, as friends and allies, to intervene urgently and help us hold onto our land. Your contributions are vital to providing temporary relief to families in dire financial straits offering temporary relief until brighter days dawn, as well as supporting our shepherds in securing food for their livestock. We aim to raise $20,000 to assist those most in need. Your generosity and support are immensely appreciated. Please help us by sharing our plea."

Where Your Donation Will Go

Your donations will be transferred to a trusted organization that provides on-the-ground support to the residents of Umm Al-Khair. Since Umm Al-Khair's residents are unbanked, the organization will withdraw the funds in cash and give them directly to village leaders to distribute to those families most in need. Thank you for supporting Palestinians under occupation in this urgent moment.