Save Umm al-Hiran from Demolition

Keeping Hope Alive in 2016 in Atir-Umm al-Hiran with our Litigation Strategy

A very Happy New Year to you, dear supporter! Here’s our latest update on how your kind donation is making a real, tangible difference to the lives of the 1,000 Arab Bedouin residents of Atir- Umm al-Hiran.

We have been working hard during the last three months to block, postpone and delay the home demolitions in Atir-Umm al-Hiran. The litigation is taking place before various levels of Israeli courts.

Here is an update on our litigation to #Save_UmAlHiran from September 2015 to the present:

Home demolition orders:

1. Adalah submitted an appeal to the District Court in Beer Sheva seeking to freeze the demolitions orders on 17 September. The court rejected this appeal on 29 November.
2. Adalah then asked the District Court on 20 December to delay the implementation of this decision, pending our request to appeal against this decision to the Israeli Supreme Court.Adalah filed this motion on 7 January 2016.

Evictions case:

Back in June 2015, following the Supreme Court’s negative decision in this case, Adalah filed an extraordinary motion for a second hearing, seeking reconsideration. To date, the Supreme Court has not ruled on this motion. As such, Adalah can continue to fight the home demolition orders, as noted above.

For Arabic speakers, here is a moving short film on the village from journalist Wael Awad (Bokra.net) http://shahidlive.com/Video-1204042. In the video, a local elder from the Abu al-Qi’an tribe takes us on a tour of the village.

What we achieved in 2015 because of your generous donation:

Due to your financial support to the Palestinian Bedouin community of Atir- Umm al-Hiran, we’ve achieved so much in such a short time.

Since Adalah launched its campaign in May 2015, in just 7 short months, we’ve accomplished the following:

-          Initiated a new media campaign to raise awareness about the pending demolition and evacuation of the village that has won thousands of online followers

-          Advocated at the UN in New York and Geneva and with foreign embassies in Israel to seek international support against the uprooting of the villagers

-          Provided a briefing on this case and related land rights issues facing the Bedouin in the Naqab at the US State Department and with the National Security Council (White House) in Washington, DC

-          Organized numerous ‘media-storm’ tours for dozens of journalists and activists, which resulted in tens of photos, videos and articles on the village.

-          Prepared a widely-disseminated position paper on the dangerous implications of the 5 May 2015 decision of the Supreme Court to authorize the demolition of the village. Read the briefing paper, here.

-          Regularly met with community leaders and other community members to jointly plan our strategy to save the village

-          With all of this public and legal work, to date, Adalah has successfully prevented the home demolitions and the eviction of the villagers from Atir-Umm al-Hiran.

Thanks again for your kind support and for making all of these efforts possible over the last months.  Adalah continues to need your support – and that of like-minded friends, family, and colleagues – to help us do this crucial work.

With best wishes to you and your loved ones in 2016.

In solidarity,

Rina Rosenberg (Jabareen)
Director of International Advocacy, Adalah

Links:

• Moving reportage by Journalist Wael Awad (Arabic)