NJN Praises Congressional Letter on Umm al-Kheir

More than 100 Members of Congress sent a letter today to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling on him to withdraw demolition orders that his government issued against homes and other structures in the Palestinian village of Umm al-Kheir.

Umm al-Kheir is a small Bedouin village in the South Hebron Hills area of the West Bank. For decades, its residents have lived on privately owned land, but without official recognition from Israeli authorities. The village sits adjacent to the expanding settlement of Carmel, and its residents have faced repeated displacement pressures, home demolitions, and restrictions on basic infrastructure—all of which have made Umm al-Kheir a focal point of international concern over Palestinian rights in Area C of the West Bank. In July, a settler shot and killed Awdah Hathaleen, a Palestinian teacher at the site. 

More background about Umm al-Khier is available on Peace Now’s website.

Hadar Susskind, President and CEO of New Jewish Narrative said:

“This congressional action deserves praise. The Israeli government has let radical settlers set its policies in the West Bank, leading to a sharp rise in settler attacks against Palestinians, a lack of law enforcement against settler violence, and more and more Palestinians displaced from their homes. 

"We must not be silent about Israeli government policies that push Palestinians off of their lands. You cannot condone settler violence, bulldoze homes, and drive people out of their homes and expect support from the United States. Prime Minister Netanyahu needs to heed this warning."