ACTION REQUEST: Please stand with Susiya now

The endgame is here. Like the final stage of chess or bridge when few pieces or cards remain, the Palestinian villagers of Susiya now face the last stage in their petition to Israel’s High Court. Three years ago, the villagers petitioned the High Court to overturn the Israeli Army’s denial of their master zoning plan and win their right to plan and live on the land they own in Palestine’s West Bank in so-called Area C.  

On Tuesday, Nov. 21st, the Government of Israel, as required by its High Court, finally responded: they will demolish 20% of the village of Susiya on or before December 6th

 
— before the High Court even hears Susiya's case, leaving dozens of residents (half of them children) homeless. The Government of Israel is waiting to ‘enforce demolition’ of the remaining homes once new rules are in place supporting expansion of illegal Israeli settlements.

An endgame is a power play, but in this case, the outcome is not inevitable. We stopped this demolition once before and we can do it again. Susiya needs your help now, to win their safety and secure their future.

1. Click HERE to email your members of Congress

to tell them that this announcement violates the spirit and intent of law and justice. Urge them to intervene, on your behalf, to stop the bulldozers.

Rebuilding Alliance will immediately follow-up to schedule an emergency telecon briefing with their staff this week, and invite you to join the call - and we're pressing for other meetings too.

2. On Monday morning, please call your Elected Official

Ask to speak to their senior staff for foreign policy, then urge them to call the US State Department and the Israeli Embassy on your behalf, and to schedule an emergency teleconference briefing with Rebuilding Alliance.

With your action, Susiya can prevail. Here's why:  

• On July 12, 2015, when the Israeli Army notified Susiya that the Army would demolish the village in a week's time — even before the Court heard their petition — people and officials throughout the US and the world voiced outrage. Many, including the US State Department, responded visibly and vocally — and as a result, the High Court pressed the Israeli Army to enter into face-to-face discussions with the villagers.
   
• Senator Feinstein began her correspondence with Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu;
   
• Representative Eshoo, along with 11 other Representatives, authored letters to the Secretary of State to keep Susiya standing:
   
• We built a base.  Over the past 2.5 years, Rebuilding Alliance has held some 192 briefings with Congressional staff, in person and over the phone, on this issue.   We’ve brought children from Susiya and neighboring Umm al Kheir to speak to Congress three times with their visions of peace, we’ve held meetings with the State Department and the National Security Council, and we've shared what we learned with sister organizations big and small.

Now is time for action, for mass participation. Please CLICK HERE to email your members of Congress. Share this message with your list, and send this link to every group you're part of to ask them to email their members of Congress too.  Now is the time.

Sincerely,

Donna Baranski-Walker
Founder & Executive Director, Rebuilding Alliance
 

P.S.   On GivingTuesday, November 28th, GlobalGiving will be matching all donations to our U.S. Movement to Save Palestinian Villages. Your donation allows Rebuilding Alliance to continue our focused advocacy. Please mark your calendar for Tuesday and give generously that day.

MORE INFORMATION:

Press release quoting Susiya's attorney, Adv. Qamar Misriqi
Haqel (The Field): Jews and Arabs in Defense of Human Rights
November 22, 2017

IDF weighs new tool to legalize setter outposts
By Tovah Lazaroff, Jerusalem Post, November 23, 2017 17:54

Senator Feinstein's correspondence with Israel's Prime Minister to keep Susiya standing
July 28, 2015 - Aug. 23, 2016

Representative Eshoo + 10 letter to Secretary of State Tillerson, October 12, 2017
Representative Eshoo's +10, letter to Secretary of State Kerry, July 17, 2017

Susiya Legal Status Update
Rabbis for Human Rights

A Chronicle of Dispossession: Facts about Susiya
B'Tselem

Demolition orders against Palestinian structures
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) graphic, on ReliefWeb

Demolition and seizure of service infrastructure to Palestinian communities in Area C
UNOCHA, 11 October 2017


P.P.S. CLICK HERE to email your members of Congress.  Thank you again for all that you do.