Israeli Military destroyed trees at Tent of Nations Farm
Daoud Nassar, Director of Tent of Nations Farm, reported that the Israeli Military destroyed over 1000 trees on the farm on Monday, May 19, 2014. See the following emails.
The valley before and after.
Tue, May 20, 2014 at 3:22 AM
Dear friends of Tent of Nations,
Yesterday at 08.00, Israeli bulldozers came to the fertile valley of the farm where we planted fruit trees 10 years ago, and destroyed the terraces and all our trees there. More than 1500 apricot and apple trees as well as grape plants were smashed and destroyed.
We informed our lawyer who is preparing the papers for appeal. Please be prepared to respond. We will need your support as you inform friends, churches and representatives when action is needed. Please wait for the moment and we will soon let you know about next steps and actions.
Thank you so much for all your support and solidarity.
Please follow us on Facebook Tent of Nations/Nassar Farm.
Dear friends of Tent of Nations,
Yesterday at 08.00, Israeli bulldozers came to the fertile valley of the farm where we planted fruit trees 10 years ago, and destroyed the terraces and all our trees there. More than 1500 apricot and apple trees as well as grape plants were smashed and destroyed.
We informed our lawyer who is preparing the papers for appeal. Please be prepared to respond. We will need your support as you inform friends, churches and representatives when action is needed. Please wait for the moment and we will soon let you know about next steps and actions.
Thank you so much for all your support and solidarity.
Please follow us on Facebook Tent of Nations/Nassar Farm.
A Call to Action
On May 20, 2014, at 21:11, "Daoud Nassar" <dnassar@tentofnations.org> wrote:
Dear friends of Tent of Nations,
What happened is an unjust and illegal act. Please feel free to contact your friends, churches, members of the parliament and write to your governments.
We need your political support now. Please inform yourself; there are friends of Tent of Nations in different countries who started to act.
Thank you for your solidarity.
Blessings.
Daoud.Nassar
Please find below the statement you can use when you write your letters:
RE: Destruction of Trees from Sani Khoury, the attorney of the Nassar Family
The Nassar Family has been in a legal battle to protect its land and trees for many years.
A short while ago the Military Authorities placed a warning on the land of the Nassar Family declaring that the trees were planted on "State Land" and therefore constituted a trespass and should be "evacuated" !
On 12.5.2014 the Nassar Family filed an appeal with the Military Court against the order and clarified that the land was not State Land and that the trees were planted on the family land. Furthermore they clarified that the Supreme Court had declared that the Nassar Family should continue with the "re-registration" process of their land. The Nassar Family has being trying to complete the process for years - however the Israel Military Land Registrar has been delaying the process endlessly without any explanation.
According to the law no demolition or evacuation is allowed once an appeal is filed and until a final verdict. In spite of the fact that an appeal was filed on 12.5.2014, and no verdict has been issued the Military Authorities rushed to destroy the land and uproot all of the trees on 19.5.2014 !
This action is illegal even according to the draconian military laws in place.
The Nassar Family have been advised to file a case demanding compensation for the illegal actions of the Military Authorities.
Daoud Nassar
Director
On May 20, 2014, at 21:11, "Daoud Nassar" <dnassar@tentofnations.org> wrote:
Dear friends of Tent of Nations,
What happened is an unjust and illegal act. Please feel free to contact your friends, churches, members of the parliament and write to your governments.
We need your political support now. Please inform yourself; there are friends of Tent of Nations in different countries who started to act.
Thank you for your solidarity.
Blessings.
Daoud.Nassar
Please find below the statement you can use when you write your letters:
RE: Destruction of Trees from Sani Khoury, the attorney of the Nassar Family
The Nassar Family has been in a legal battle to protect its land and trees for many years.
A short while ago the Military Authorities placed a warning on the land of the Nassar Family declaring that the trees were planted on "State Land" and therefore constituted a trespass and should be "evacuated" !
On 12.5.2014 the Nassar Family filed an appeal with the Military Court against the order and clarified that the land was not State Land and that the trees were planted on the family land. Furthermore they clarified that the Supreme Court had declared that the Nassar Family should continue with the "re-registration" process of their land. The Nassar Family has being trying to complete the process for years - however the Israel Military Land Registrar has been delaying the process endlessly without any explanation.
According to the law no demolition or evacuation is allowed once an appeal is filed and until a final verdict. In spite of the fact that an appeal was filed on 12.5.2014, and no verdict has been issued the Military Authorities rushed to destroy the land and uproot all of the trees on 19.5.2014 !
This action is illegal even according to the draconian military laws in place.
The Nassar Family have been advised to file a case demanding compensation for the illegal actions of the Military Authorities.
Daoud Nassar
Director
Resources:
Valerie Pitt, Carey Wagner and I visited the farm with the LIFE Seminar group in November. We saw and spoke with the family about their struggle to keep their farm. The following excerpt from the website of the Churches for Middle East Peace, (http://www.cmep.org/) describes the Tent of Nations Farm. CMEP is a coalition of 25 national Church denominations and organizations in Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions.
Curtis Marwood,
Communication Coordinator
United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine sand Israel (www.UNJPPI.org)
________________________________________
"The Nassars are a Palestinian Christian family of farmers who live surrounded by Israeli settlements. Although they live under the constant threat of land confiscation, they strive to maintain a haven of peace through their work with the Tent of Nations Project. Living out the dream of their father, Tent of Nations has become a center for peace and local education.
"Visitors from all over the world, including Israelis, come to discuss peace strategies, learn organic farming methods, teach at the Women's Education Center, and lead activities at Youth Summer Camps. In spite of destructive threats by Israeli Defense Forces and neighboring hostile settlers, the Tent of Nations has become an outlet for pursuing a just peace through non-violent activism. At their front gate, a sign reads in three languages, "We Refuse to be Enemies".
- Churches for Middle East Peace
To learn more about the Tent of Nations Farm, go to http://www.fotonna.org/
and follow them on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/tentofnation
The story of their family farm is told in a book by Daoud Nassar,
Daher's Vineyard - Tent of Nations: My Father's Dream.
Valerie Pitt, Carey Wagner and I visited the farm with the LIFE Seminar group in November. We saw and spoke with the family about their struggle to keep their farm. The following excerpt from the website of the Churches for Middle East Peace, (http://www.cmep.org/) describes the Tent of Nations Farm. CMEP is a coalition of 25 national Church denominations and organizations in Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant traditions.
Curtis Marwood,
Communication Coordinator
United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine sand Israel (www.UNJPPI.org)
________________________________________
"The Nassars are a Palestinian Christian family of farmers who live surrounded by Israeli settlements. Although they live under the constant threat of land confiscation, they strive to maintain a haven of peace through their work with the Tent of Nations Project. Living out the dream of their father, Tent of Nations has become a center for peace and local education.
"Visitors from all over the world, including Israelis, come to discuss peace strategies, learn organic farming methods, teach at the Women's Education Center, and lead activities at Youth Summer Camps. In spite of destructive threats by Israeli Defense Forces and neighboring hostile settlers, the Tent of Nations has become an outlet for pursuing a just peace through non-violent activism. At their front gate, a sign reads in three languages, "We Refuse to be Enemies".
- Churches for Middle East Peace
To learn more about the Tent of Nations Farm, go to http://www.fotonna.org/
and follow them on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/tentofnation
The story of their family farm is told in a book by Daoud Nassar,
Daher's Vineyard - Tent of Nations: My Father's Dream.