(On this page, we compile important updates from the Tent of Nations. You can find them below in reverse chronological order.)
Stand with the Nassar Family in Their Nonviolent Struggle
to Protect Their Land and Ensure Justice
The Nassar family, longstanding friends of Pax Christi International, have exemplified Sumud for the past 34 years, demonstrating that nonviolence is the key to achieving Just Peace.
The steadfastness of the Tent of Nations represents the voices of many in Palestine whose lands have been taken and exploited under the threat of violence.
The next court hearing regarding the Nassar family’s land registration was scheduled for 18 December 2024 – it has now been postponed with no new date. If not cancelled, this will be the thirteenth hearing since 2021, despite the Israeli Supreme Court ruling in 2006 that the family should be allowed to re-register their land. The current situation, worsened by new road construction, highlights the urgent need for the Nassar family to see an end to these delays and achieve a just outcome—specifically, the completion of the re-registration process recognising their ownership of all their land. At the same time, the Supreme Court ordered a 60-day period for Civil Authorities to take action regarding the illegal constructions by settlers. After this delay, the District Court of Jerusalem will be the competent authority in front of which cases shall be brought.
We urgently call on you to support the Nassar family by spreading their message of nonviolence and urging your governments to halt the illegal seizure of their land. Here are the necessary actions:
- Confirm the Nassar family’s land ownership as per their legal cases (Nos. 3714/2 and 3715/2) and complete the re-registration process immediately. After 34 years of legal battles and constant delays, this injustice must end.
- Stop all unauthorised activities on the Nassars’ land, including road construction and damage.
- End any hindrance and harassment of the Nassar family by the Israeli military or settlers, ensuring they can safely access their land.
- Protect the Nassar family so they can farm their land without fear. Regular visits by your representatives to Tent of Nations will help ensure their safety and prevent any hostile acts or unauthorised entry.
- Stay informed and involved by visiting Tent of Nations frequently and including it in the itinerary of any visiting delegations to witness the situation firsthand.
Your support is crucial to ending the unjust delays and securing the Nassar family’s rightful ownership of their land. Together, let us advocate for peace and uphold their example of Sumud. Take action now to ensure they can continue their legacy of nonviolence and farm their land safely.
Thank you for standing with the Nassar family in this critical time.
You can find their initial appeal on June 17 here, and an update from August 21 here.
Pax Christi International
Tent of Nations Update
December 16, 2024
Dear Friends,
I just want to update that our lawyer has informed us that the session set for the 18th of December has been postponed. No further action is needed at this time. I will update regarding any further developments.
Thank you for your prayers, support and solidarity.
And our journey for justice will continue with faith, love and hope
Blessings
Tent of Nations Update
October 8, 2024
Dear friends, This is the update received from our attorney:
Today the 8th of October a session was held in the Israeli Supreme Court regarding the building of the road and the building of the structure on our land. The State stated that the army had nothing to do with the work and the work had already stopped and therefore the petition should be erased since we obtained the requested relief.
Our attorney responded that even if the army itself did not perform the work it was present and it enabled the work.
The representative for the State denied the army was responsible for the work and said that the Civil Administration had issued stop orders for the work and there is a session in the request to destroy the works set for tomorrow and next week. They claimed they were working against the illegal work. The State Attorney said that the Supreme Court had transferred jurisdiction over all petitions regarding illegal work in the West Bank to the District Court in Jerusalem and that any claim should be filed there to request the destruction of the illegal work.
Our attorney responded that the army had the obligation to stop the work from the beginning and it was inconceivable that the army have enough manpower to protect the illegal work but suddenly not have enough manpower to reverse the illegal work immediately.
In all cases our attorney requested that the injunction against the illegal work by the Supreme Court continue to be in effect until we see what the Civil Administration does. Our attorney stated that when the first injunction was issued by the Supreme Court all the work indeed stopped regardless of who was performing it.
The Supreme Court issued an injunction for a further 60 days during which it would be seen what the Civil Administration does, and they informed our attorney that if the works are not destroyed within that time, we can approach the District Court in Jerusalem with the appropriate petition.
and the journey for justice continues.
Tent of Nations Update
September 20, 2024
Tent of Nations Update
September 18, 2024
An update from our lawyer about the recent court session:
During the session on the 17th of September, our land expert and surveyor submitted his opinion regarding the borders based on the land registration deeds. The committee requested some explanations and another submission within 45 days. The land re-registration committee also decided that it wanted to have the maps that we submitted superimposed on the maps of the State in order to ensure that there are no discrepancies or disputes or other claims regarding the borders. The committee ruled that it only has jurisdiction to inspect if the borders are proved or not and therefore it needs these maps to be superimposed on the official State maps.
The committe gave the military surveyor 45 days after the Jewish holidays to prepare the required maps and set another session for the 18th of December 2024 to discuss the results of the superimposed maps according to the military surveyor in order to proceed.
Tent of Nations Update
September 11, 2024
Dear Friends,
Unfortunately, today the land re-registration committee did not hold a substantive session and delayed the proceedings because what it claimed was a technical mistake by the committee secretary that did not prepare the session and notifications to all. This was the fault of the committee and this was not the first time that the committee had delayed sessions, however the committee decided to set up another close date for the next session and delayed the proceedings until next week, the 17th of September 2024.
With persistence we continue the journey for justice.
Thank you for all your support and solidarity.
Tent of Nations Update
August 21, 2024
With peaceful persistence since 1991, the Nassar family, continues to prevent confiscation of their farm, Tent of Nations, located in Area C of the Occupied West Bank, Palestine. As the situation continues to worsen, they need your urgent assistance.
With all eyes focused on Gaza, more Palestinian land in the West Bank is being taken. The Nassar family has not escaped these circumstances. On March 13, 2024, Israelis suddenly started building a road on their private property. On March 21, 2024, construction of a second road began that, if continued, would encroach on the family’s land. After having received no response from the Israeli Military Authorities regarding the road construction on the family’s private property, the Nassar’s lawyer appealed to the Supreme Court, which had previously ruled that their land is not to be touched while the Nassar’s undergo its re-registration process. On April 21, 2024, the Supreme Court issued an order preventing the State from doing anything on the Nassar’s land until further orders, and the State was given until May 16, 2024, to respond to this Court order. on April 27, 2024, Israeli settlers started construction on the Nassar’s land of a third road. This road comes up from the valley to the hilltop and would ultimately connect with the first road under construction. On May 16, 2024, the State informed the Nassar’s lawyer that no construction on the Nassar’s land is to take place, and the State requested a delay until June 5, 2024, to check the circumstances on the Nassar’s land. On May 27, 2024, in what appears to be establishment of a new outpost, Israeli settlers placed an RV directly abutting the Nassar’s land.
On June 27, 2024, the State responded to the Supreme Court that the construction of roads on the Nassar’s land is not done by the State but by settlers and requested that this case should be handled at the civil court in Jerusalem. This was rejected by Nassar’s Lawyer and on July 9, 2024, the Supreme Court refused to dismiss this case and scheduled a hearing on October 8, 2024.
In the meantime, Israeli settler continue to enter and work on the Nassar’s land—as recently as August 15, 2024. Settlers are now building a structure on a portion of the Nassar’s land: the likely beginning of another illegal outpost.
In addition, to these extremely concerning developments, the Nassars, like other Palestinian farmers, face more restrictions on accessing their land and increased intimidation and harassment by Israeli soldiers and settlers while trying to farm. Almost daily, Israeli military/security or settlers try to prevent the Nassar family from working on their farm and have damaged the farm’s fences when entering the property.
The Nassar family has been engaged in a 33-year legal struggle to re-register their land (as required by Israeli law since their property is in Area C of the Occupied West Bank). The Israeli military court Re-registration Committee has continually postponed or cancelled hearings: resulting in no decision being made after 12 hearings (5 of which have been cancelled) over time period of 3 years and delays the process in order not to come to a decision. After the hearing scheduled for July 2, 2024, had been cancelled, a new hearing is scheduled for September 11, 2024. This hearing (if not again cancelled to delay the process) will be the 13th in a series of hearings that began only in 2021, many years after the Israeli Supreme Court ruled, in 2006, that the Nassar family be allowed to re-register their land. Significantly, at this hearing, a member of the Nassar family will be allowed to testify, and a land expert will provide testimony in support of the family’s ownership of the land for over 100 years, demonstrated by the family’s significant documentation.
The Nassar’s ownership of their land is clear and well documented. The current situation and now the new road construction, new outpost, and the building of a new structure on the Nassar’s land heighten the urgency for these delays to end and a just outcome for the family to be secured, that is, completion of the re-registration process recognizing the Nassar’s ownership of all their land.
With all the challenges that the family is facing to protect their land, they continue to believe in and act for justice. The Tent of Nations welcomes you to come as a volunteer to stay and help at the farm. The international presence at the Tent of Nations is a big support and is making a big difference.
Thank you for understanding the urgency of the situation and for accompanying the family on their long journey for justice with faith love and hope.
Tent of Nations Update
July 1, 2024
I am writing to inform you about a recent development concerning the re-registration session for our Nassar family land. We received a message from our attorney stating that the Land Registration Committee of the Israeli Civil Administration in the West Bank has decided to cancel the session scheduled for tomorrow, July 2, 2024.
Our attorney’s message reads as follows:
“After waiting for an entire year, it is very unfortunate that the Land Registration Committee delays the session one day before the session without giving any reasons beyond: ‘due to reasons related to the constraints of the committee’.
As you are aware, the sessions until today have proved beyond any doubt the Nassar family’s exclusive claims to the land, and it was very clear that the Land Committee would have to complete the re-registration process.
It is evident that, as part of a political decision not to re-register the Nassar family’s land, the Land Committee finds that the only way to prevent the re-registration is to continue with endless delays and cancel the sessions for no reason whatsoever. Clearly, the Land Registration Committee is aware that there is no legal basis to prevent the re-registration of the Nassar family land, and therefore it simply chose to cancel the session after we have been waiting for nearly a year. No new date has been given yet.”
In light of this situation, we kindly request the following actions:
- Please forward this information to your representatives and urge them to contact the Israeli authorities to demand an immediate new date for the re-registration session. Justice must be served after more than 30 years of struggling in the Israeli courts.
- While the case is pending in court, Israeli settlers may continue to create facts on the ground. Please ask your government to provide protection for the Nassar family and their farm.
- The Tent of Nations urgently needs an international presence of volunteers at the farm for protection and to assist with cultivating, farming, and developing the land.
We are going through a difficult time and greatly appreciate your support in this long journey for justice.
Thank you for your continued accompaniment and solidarity.
Only God can create, but you can value what He created.
Only God can value Life, but you can transmit it and respect it.
Only God can give Health, but you can treat, calm, console.
Only God can give Faith, but you can give your testimony.
Only God can grant Hope, but you can give confidence to your brother.
Only God can give Love, but you can teach others to love.
Only God can give Peace, but you can promote harmony.
Only God can grant Joy, but you can smile at everyone.
Only God can give Strength, but you can support the weak.
Only God is the Way, but you can show it to others.
Only God is the Light, but you can make it shine in everyone’s eyes.
Only God is Life, but you can inspire others to desire to live.
Only God can perform miracles, but you can be the one who brings the 5 loaves and 2 fish.
Only God can achieve what seems impossible, but you can do what is possible.
Only God can be the Almighty, but He chose to count on you!
Brazilian Song
