Dear Friends,

We have received an urgent request from Rev. Larry Clark for peace activists to contact Marcy Kaptur and Sherrod Brown concerning circumstances in the West Bank witnessed and experienced by a delegation of Christians just two days ago while on a mission in the West Bank at the invitation of Palestinians. Act by emailing Marcy Kaptur and Sherrod Brown to let them know what is happening. Share Larry Clark's report below with other peace activist groups in our area.

MARCY KAPTUR:

Marcy.Kaptur@PROTECTED

Sue.Rowe@PROTECTED;

SHERROD BROWN:

c/o Drew Martineau, Drew_Martineau@PROTECTED; and

Ann Longsworth, Ann_Longsworth_Orr@PROTECTED

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PLEASE read –

"The seismic shift in Israeli settler violence now underway was experienced firsthand by our delegation of Christians yesterday.

This week, with our partners at Sabeel, twelve U.S. Christian leaders have been responding to the invitation of Palestinians to be with them in yet one more dangerous moment. As part of our time in the West Bank, we visited with the community in Om Jamal, who are being forced to leave their homes as a direct result of settler violence.

The people of Om Jamal have faced intermittent assaults for a week, including physical attacks and sexual harassment. Children traumatized by the violence were left vomiting from fear. The settlers encroach from the hills above, charging in at all hours with clubs and other weapons. The community has decided it can no longer stay in their homes due to the terrorism.

As our delegation arrived at Om Jamal, settlers jutted across the village property on ATVs and motorbikes to make their presence known. We met with the men who were packing there at a frantic pace, unsure of how much time they would have left to move their entire lives to safer ground. The women, children, and cattle had already left.

Shortly after our arrival, Israeli soldiers drove up to request we leave with the claim we were only escalating tensions. The attacks, an English-speaking soldier relayed to us, were just the nuisance of some young boys “all under the age of 17” just causing trouble. We remained for a time, and the soldiers returned almost immediately after we had walked off to our bus. Two Israeli peace activists were still there.

Separately, some of our delegation who remained with the bus were being harassed by settlers. The bus ended up having to flee to a highway and return for us later. 

While the violence inflicted on Om Jamal was jarring for our delegation, the Palestinians accompanying us made it clear that such incidents are normal—and increasing. A recent policy change….

This lawlessness seems to be clearly empowered by the recent transfer of the Civil Administration (the Israeli body governing the West Bank) from the IDF to officials working under radical settler Bezalel Smotrich. According to many Israeli political analysts, this act is paving the way for a de facto annexation of the West Bank. It is certainly empowering a dangerous level of impunity among young settlers who do as they please and face no consequences for their actions. 

While the world’s attention is rightly focused on a ceasefire in Gaza, our time in the West Bank—at Nablus, Ramallah, and elsewhere, is a reminder that even if the bombs over Gaza stop falling, the occupation and settler terrorism are intensifying."