Update from Daoud Nassar
Dear Friends:
We remain forever grateful for all the love and support you have given us over the years. You know that with peaceful persistence we have prevented the confiscation of the farm which has been in our family since 1916. Over these 108 years, the family has faced a great many attempts to break our spirit. But we hold forth and give thanks for the simple fact that we are still here.
I want to let you know that the next hearing for the Re-registration of our land is scheduled for September 11, 2024. Please take a moment to connect with your congressional members by using the tools provided by Friends of Tent of Nations North America ( FOTONNA) in this newsletter.
As you know, the situation in the West Bank continues to worsen. A good deal of agricultural land owned by Palestinians is being taken by settlers. Settlers and the Military have built roads through our property and in the process have destroyed trees and fences. A structure is now being built by settlers on a portion of our land.
Roadblocks have been placed that restrict access to our property. The family is intimidated and threatened, as they work on the farm. We have responded to these intrusions by appealing to the Israeli Supreme Court. They have ordered the Military to see that all work on our property is stopped as it is in the process of re-registration. While the Military denies they are involved in any of this work, the Court has scheduled a hearing in early October to hear from us and the Military regarding these recent intrusions on our property.
Please consider coming to volunteer at the farm. International presence is so important for our protection at this time. You can contact me at https://tentofnations.com/volunteer/, to express your interest.
Thank you for understanding the urgency of the situation and for accompanying us on our long journey for justice. Our solace comes from the many who have joined us – in whatever way – whether in prayer, visits with us, political advocacy for our cause, joining us in working the land, or working quietly behind the scenes to advance an understanding of what is happening to the Palestinian people in this part of the world.
We remain in faith, love, and hope,
Daoud Nassar
Director, Tent of Nations
-People Building Bridges-
https://tentofnations.com/
www.fotonna.org
https://www.facebook.com/tentofnations
A Message from the FOTONNA Steering Committee
URGENT REQUEST FOR YOUR ACTION: September 11, 2024 Re-registration Hearing
The next Israeli Court hearing regarding the re-registration of the Nassars’ land is scheduled for September 11, 2024. This hearing will be the 13th in a series of scheduled hearings that began in 2021, many years after the Israeli Supreme Court ruled in 2006 that the family be allowed to re-register their land (as required by Israeli law in Area C of the West Bank). If the hearing takes place, an Israeli land expert will testify to the validity of their ownership, and Daoud will give his testimony.
The situation around the farm continues to deteriorate with daily access being difficult. In addition to the roads being built next to and through their property, Israeli settlers are now building a structure on a portion of their land, the likely beginning of another illegal outpost.
All of this heightens the urgency for the hearing to be held and a decision to be made recognizing the Nassars’ ownership of all of their land.
We are asking you to email or call your elected officials: find your Representative here and your Senators here. Use the suggested email script (here) or phone script (here) to urge your Senators and Representative to contact Secretary of State Blinken with specific asks.
If it is possible for you to do so, schedule an in person appointment with your senators and representative. The House and Senate are out of session until after Labor Day, so they may be more available now in your area. We are also providing historical background of the legal case, details about events in and around the farm since October 7, and a list of asks. This Background Document may be used for an in person meeting, and/or left behind with the congressperson or staffer. (Click here to find this document)
This is a critical time and your advocacy actions make a difference. Please act quickly. If you need more information, please be in touch through info@fotonna.org. Let us know of any responses you receive.
We are grateful for your support.
Beth Moore and the FOTONNA Steering Committee
Watering olive trees, bombs in the distance, and the most beautiful sunsets…
By Becca Tyvoll
Volunteering at Tent of Nations, Spring 2024
…a few phrases that capture our time spent at Tent of Nations in May, filled with intermingled emotions – hope, grief, wonder, sadness, and anger. Hovering over it all, a transcendent peace that speaks of the legacy of Bishara, the Nassar’s grandfather, whose vision for shalom on the farm felt tangible in our spirits.
I think of the will of God as expansive, like a blanket covering the whole earth, the entirety of our lives…it’s almost inescapable, like a rain cloud ready to burst above you. If we carry on our daily lives, we will undoubtedly be foundby it, as long as we are attentive.
I received a WhatsApp message from Daoud Nassar on Palestinian Land Day, March 30 (also happened to be Holy Saturday, the day before Easter) that read, “On land day, we continue to work the land and focus on my father’s dream.” I felt the Holy Spirit tugging at my heart as I read the message and saw the picture he sent of himself and his brother tending to the land…what was God inviting us into?
Less than a month after receiving Daoud’s message, I found myself sitting with him and his wife Jihan in the offices of my Virginia Senators, asking for their support to protect the farm. Then a few weeks later, our small but mighty group from Peace Catalyst International joined others on the farm after attending the Christ at the Checkpoint conference.
There was something so powerful about sharing the experience on the farm with others who came at the same time we did – a group of seminary students from New York, along with members from a local church community in the U.S. Midwest. To see others who placed the same value on coming to the farm at this time and in this way, to also devote themselves and their resources to being in solidarity with the Nassar family, felt so affirming. It felt as though our individual and collective presence on the farm had been divinely orchestrated – to have the conversations we had, to learn each other’s stories as we did, and to share in something so meaningful that created a sense of fellowship as almost nothing else can. It made me reflect on the true essence of mission – to come together across all different backgrounds and work together for a common vision or purpose.
The low, thunder-like booms in the distance were at times accompanied by shaking of the mountain, rattling our metal ‘tents.’ I imagined the shaking was caused by the ‘bunker-busting’ bombs, the 2,000-pound bombs paid for by my U.S. tax dollars. It gave us the visceral realization that the Netanyahu government is not only killing people in Gaza, they are also destroying the land itself. This made our small contribution to our Palestinian friends who steward and cultivate this land feel all the more meaningful.
Watering baby olive trees was life-giving, and gave us a deeper sense of the long-suffering of those who remain in the land, a forbearance that is so intertwined with planting, tending, and harvesting. These baby olive trees were planted after an entire orchard of them had been burned by an attack from neighbors. It reminded me that resilience is not a cheap word for those who have no other choice but to suffer, but rather a commitment beyond ourselves that connects us with everything else in creation whose fate is at the mercy of those with ‘power.’ It’s a commitment to replant and rebuild again and again and again, even in the face of horrific violence…as long as those who suffer are here, there remains a choice to continue cultivating, living, and resisting in hope. It’s also a reminder of the paradigm shift that Jesus provides regarding power. Our time on the farm helped me reflect further on this new paradigm – what is power and where does it come from? Jesus blessed the meek and His ministry affirmed the true power of continuing in faith, even and especially in the face of harm and destruction.
As I think about what true power is in this context – is it the towering settlements that overlook the farm, or is it the Nassar brothers tilling the same soil tilled by their great-grandfather over 100 years ago? Is it watchtowers and security fences, or is it a tractor and a chicken coup? Is it a modern, expensive home, or is it a cave that’s been host to countless songs of worship and hope among a hundred-thousand visitors? Is it an endless water supply that’s been siphoned away from neighbors, or is it rain water carefully collected and preserved for use over time? I’m inclined to see power in a whole new light after just 5 days on the farm.
This realization of true power doesn’t take away from the need for our solidarity and advocacy, but it further illuminates what we are protecting – it’s not only the protection of one family’s farm, it’s the protection of so much more. The Nassar family represents countless Palestinian families whose homes and land have been taken from under them with little or no warning, without law, and without justifiable reason; and those whose homes are at great risk of being taken now at any moment. Though this threat existed long before October 7, it is greater than ever as the horrors of genocidal violence continue in Gaza. It’s also about protecting a way of life that affirms faithful nonviolent resistance to injustice.
What can we do?
Advocate: Share the most recent update from Daoud on your social media, and contact your elected officials to advocate for the family and farm. The Nassars need support from our government officials in anticipation of their hearing with the Land Registration Committee that is scheduled for September 11th, 2024. (See advocacy suggestions above.)
Volunteer: In conjunction with direct advocacy, the greatest need is for more people to go and stay on the farm for two weeks or longer, providing protective presence and accompaniment to the Nassar family. You can learn more about volunteering on the farm here. Please contact me directly at becca.tyvoll@gmail.com to learn more about our experience and any questions you may have about travel, safety, etc.
Give: Support the farm by donating via Fotonna’s website.
“In the Midst…” by Bill Plitt
In the Midst of the Promised Land, live two peoples:
One controlling – one controlled.
But, in the end, have lost their souls:
one misguided – the other derided.
And our God weeps amongst the stones.
Within and out of the walls of concrete and steel,
Live two peoples – lost in fear:
One to feeling within itself –
And one who waits for the unknown that lies in some distant way…
And the whole world weeps without knowing why.
Find, within the prison of the land itself,
The settlers surrounding what remains:
A vineyard, a farm, a spirit beyond belief
That challenges their presence without relief,
From energy spurred by countless souls
Who weep beside them – the living stones.
Who are the children amidst this land
Who’ve seen nothing new for decades now?
Within these walls, what they must claim
As a future, fades. They steadfastly exclaim,
“This is my home, my native land.
It’s here I’ve made my final stand.”
And God weeps and moans for the newest living stones.
In the mountains, valleys, and the seas
Lay those places where the pilgrims come
To see the ‘footsteps’ of one who practiced what he was.
The stone, the brick, and mortar, too,
Produce the walls of seasoned tones
To whispers, prayers, voices, and even a ‘harp,’ too.
And our God weeps amongst the chorus.
What lies amidst the hearts and minds
Of soldiers who stand by the gates – defined –
Which are meant to withstand, contain and resist the threats
Of peoples who know no other way?
As soldiers, here and there, raise two fingers in the form of ‘V,’
In hopes of peace, harmony that might release
The guilt, the embarrassment, the regret that they must feel.
And our God weeps beside them.
Bill Plitt, Steering Committee Senior Consultant/Historian
Bill writes, “This poem was written in 2007 on my flight home from Jordan, in the back of the plane where I had a whole row of seats and space to reflect on the journey I had just completed, mostly solo. I had traveled to various places in Israel, Occupied Palestine, and Jordan – I traveled on local buses, shared rides with visiting tourists and in private cars of friends. I was ‘in the Midst’ of their lives in their homes, schools, and places of worship.”
Thanks for your Generosity!
Thank you for your generous support, spiritually and financially, for the Nassar family. Financial gifts can be made securely online by credit card: open the “Make a Contribution” page on Fotonna’s website, then click on the “Click to Contribute” button. If you prefer to give by a check, download the donation form here and mail to 3436 East Ave S, La Crosse, WI 54601.
Note that donations given directly through FOTONNA are not tax deductible under US tax law. Tax deductible donations of $250 or more can be made through our fiscal sponsor, Tree of Life Educational Fund: click here. For more information about donating, please visit our FOTONNA website Donations page.
Questions? Contact: Beth Moore, FOTONNA’s Finance Co-Director, ebmoore1@live.com.
Mike Phillips, FOTONNA Finance Co-Director
We are Grateful to be on the FOTONNA road with you!
“God places us in the world as his fellow workers-agents of transfiguration. We work with God so that injustice is transfigured into justice, so there will be more compassion and caring, that there will be more laughter and joy, that there will be more togetherness in God’s world.”
— Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Thank you for all the ways that you are leaning into the wind, walking with the Nassars on their “journey for justice with faith, love, and hope in action.” Your prayers, advocacy steps, financial gifts, and presence on the farm as visitors and volunteers matter and are deeply appreciated.
Heidi Saikaly and Joan Deming
FOTONNA Steering Committee Communications Team