I was an Israel Defense Forces soldier in Gaza 27 years ago, during the first intifada. We patrolled the city and the villages and the refugee camps and encountered angry teenagers throwing stones at us. We responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. Now those seem like the good old days. Since then, the conflict […]
By Steven Levitsky and Glen Weyl October 23 Washington Post Steven Levitsky is a professor of government at Harvard University. Glen Weyl is an assistant professor of economics and law at the University of Chicago. We are lifelong Zionists. Like other progressive Jews, our support for Israel has been founded on two convictions: first, that […]
2015 Tree of Life Conference How Can WE Be Agents of Change to Secure Human Rights for Palestinians and Israelis? In this conference, we will hear from Israeli, Palestinian and American voices of conscience who will help us understand that in the long struggle toward justice and peace in the Holy Land, the fulcrum of […]
By Jonathan Cook Global Research, September 08, 2015 Jonathan Cook: The View from Nazareth 8 September 2015 Nearly half a million Palestinian pupils go on strike in Israel as Netanyahu government digs in heels against independent church schools Thousands of Arab schools in Israel went on strike on Monday, their 450,000 pupils remaining at home, as the Israeli government geared […]
Spring 2015 Newsletter – Number 19 UPDATE FROM DAOUD – February 20, 2015 Dear Friends, Greetings from all of us at the Tent of Nations.Because of your support, it is always exciting for me to update you about the status of the farm and the work we are doing here. We started this year with new […]
Steve France – August 2015 In July, three of us stopped by Daoud Nassar’s hilltop farm, Tent of Nations, near Bethlehem. Daher Nassar, the eldest brother, found us picking our way through the boulders and broken rocks strewn on the road by the surrounding settlers to block access to the farm. Daher gladdened us with […]
JULY 2015 | IFPB NEWSLETTER […]
Congressional Briefing Packs the House! Watch the briefing here. On June 2, the No Way to Treat a Child Campaign held a Congressional Briefing in the North Congressional Meeting room at the Capitol Visitor’s Center. US Representative Keith Ellison provided the welcome to the standing-room-only event for 130 people, including staffers from over 30 Congressional […]
Reflections from Kay Israel/Palestine Trip May 17-21, 2015 Bill is light; I am dark. Bill is up; I am down. Guess which one of us is full of hope and which one is full of despair. This is how we see the world – through very different lenses – and this is why my reflections […]
Fall 2014 Newsletter Update from Daoud – October 20, 2014: (Here is a synopsis of what has been happening on the ground since the destruction of the trees on May 19, 2014.) Greetings – After we brought the case before the Israeli Supreme Court regarding the destruction of our trees on private land in May 2014, […]
Dear Justice Advocates, In Gaza, severe winter weather is worsening the deplorable living conditions as residents struggle to survive following the devastating summer war. UNRWA, the United Nations agency assigned to help Palestinian refugees, reported this month: “Already, the incredibly harsh winter in Gaza has claimed the lives of five babies….homeless refugees run the […]
Pro-Israeli, Pro-Palestinian, Pro-Jesus by Ryan Rodrick Beiler | March 2015 Evangelicals are no longer automatically taking a one-sided approach to conflict in the Middle East STUN GRENADES AND tear gas bombs exploded in the street outside of Bethlehem Bible College, forcing Rev. Alex Awad to end his class early. Down the block, youth threw stones at the Israeli […]
In February 2015, sixth, seventh and eighth grade Middle Schoolers from Oregon learned about the Tent of Nations Farm on a Lutheran Youth Overnight Retreat. Photos that were taken by the ELCA Oregon Synod trip delegates in May 2014 were shared. The photos showed the destruction that the delegates witnessed just a few days after […]
By STEVEN ERLANGERDEC. 15, 2014 LONDON — Secretary of State John Kerry, meeting in Rome on Monday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, was confronted with unexpected pressure from the Palestinian Authority, which announced that it would put forward a United Nations Security Council resolution this week demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from the […]
Many of us are wondering how to respond at yet another point of descent into hopelessness in the Holy Land. Following are three recent pieces that help provide some sense of perspective along with an encouragement to “stay in the game.” In Stages of Grief in the Search for a Permanent Peace, Danny Seidemann argues for a diplomatic and political […]
How can a preventable war be justified? And how can one wrap oneself in its rightness in the presence of the horror-show images from Gaza? By Gideon Levy | Jul. 27, 2014 | 5:20 AM | 6 It began as a war of choice: A different Israeli policy in the last few months might have […]
By Ben White http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/how-many-nakbas/article6246079.ece More than ever, there is a need today to understand the Israel-Palestine conflict Gaza burns while the international community sits quietly, doing nothing about it. Israel has bombarded the territory for two weeks, killing more than 700 Palestinians and wounding well over 3,000. As I write this, I am aware that […]
Dear Friends, When we heard the news of the brutal murder of Rabbi Moshe Twersky, 59, Rabbi Aryeh Kupinsky, 43, Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Goldberg, 68, Rabbi Kalman Zeev Levine, 55, and Zidan Nahad Seif, 30, we felt deep horror and grief. We mourn and condemn the gruesome murders at the Har Nof synagogue. Our hearts […]
Please see Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) – www.cmep.org. – for updates on this situation and stay tuned for the latest breaking news on this movement.
Writing from the West Bank, Sarah Levy explains the source of spiraling violence in East Jerusalem–provocations and deadly assaults by Israeli soldiers and settlers alike. November 19, 2014 TENSIONS WERE already at the boiling point in Jerusalem after weeks of Israeli provocations when two Palestinian men attacked a synagogue on the morning of November 18, […]
BETHLEHEM Imagine coming to work only to find that the tools and services you use to perform your daily tasks have been taken away. As you look around, you see that your co-workers have everything they need to succeed. That’s how Daoud Nassar feels every day. Nassar is the director of Tent of Nations, a […]
Update from Daoud – October 20, 2014: (Here is a synopsis of what has been happening on the ground since the destruction of the trees on May 19, 2014.) Greetings – After we brought the case before the Israeli Supreme Court regarding the destruction of our trees on private land in May 2014, the Supreme Court […]
Here is the latest news from Daoud on the court cases brought before the Israeli Supreme Court in June 2014 regarding the re-registration of the land and the bulldozing of trees on May 19, 2014. Dear Friends of Tent of Nations, We are still waiting for the response from the military authorities to the Israeli […]
A Day in Gaza PC(USA) mission co-worker visits partner hospital during ceasefire August 13, 2014 Special to Presbyterian News Service Kate Taber PC(USA) mission co-worker GAZA [PNS] Editor’s note: The Rev. Kate Taber is a mission co-worker for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). She is serving in Israel/Palestine as facilitator for peacemaking and mission partnerships. On Aug. 11, she had the […]
Dear Friends, As you all know, Palestinians are still counting their deaths and the injured people. It is very sad to see all this destruction in Gaza; still there is not an end to it. I am still on the farm with my family. We are following the news on daily basis from there but […]
Update From Daoud – July 22, 2014 My Dear Friends, Thanks so much for all your Emails, concerns and prayers. We are safe and staying on the farm for safety’s sake. It is a heavy time for us and especially for the people of Gaza. We are following the news daily, and we are seeing […]
Israel Continues Genocide, Ethnic Cleansing of Gaza http://whtt.org/israel-continues-genocide-ethnic-cleansing-of-gaza/ Posted by Charles E Carlson July 22, 2014 Israel Invades: Takes lives, Destroys Sustaining Infrastructure Recently Israel shelled a beach near two of Gaza City’s hotels. Twelve years ago, I dined with Gaza friends in one of those hotels overlooking that same beach. Israel’s shelling killed four […]
Update From Daoud – June 19, 2014 Dear friends, Greetings from all of us at the Tent of Nations. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. We are still receiving Emails, letters and phone calls from friends and people who are concerned about our situation. It is great to see how people […]
http://www.israellawresourcecenter.org/internationallaw/studyguides/sgil3.htm This was done by the International Law Resource Center in Washington, DC and is provided for information only. The following was provided by a friend of FOTONNA: *The Leahy Law prohibits assistance to individuals or units of any > foreign military or police body that commit gross human rights abuses; > > * > […]
Please read the following written by an Israeli Jew living near Tel Aviv. His perspective on the latest round of issues between Hamas and Israeli leaders related to Gaza is a very important voice to be heard. You may want to sign the letter to President Obama, also. “My family in Israel has bomb shelters. […]
I was in 5th grade when I learned about the Trail of Tears and the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Native Americans. I’m not sure what Mrs. Gary, my teacher, expected us to think or feel – but the lessons I learned were about unthinkable horror, injustice, and sadness. Those reactions are a […]
BBC News Magazine Report – June 17, 2014 The Christian Family Refusing to Give Up its Bethlehem Hill Farm By Daniel Silas Adamson – Bethlehem A Palestinian Christian family that preaches non-violence from a farm in the West Bank is battling to hold on to land it has owned for 98 years. Now surrounded by […]
The Nassar family had its fruit trees in the West Bank uprooted by the army last month despite a pending legal appeal, which the army now says wasn’t done properly. By Ilene Prusher | Jun. 12, 2014 | 4:55 AM A mural mosaic at the Tent of Nations. Photo by Ilene Prusher Daher Nassar points […]
And the soldier’s child asked his soldier-father, “What did you do today, daddy?” His reply, “I drove a bulldozer today.” “Was it fun, daddy?” “Oh, yes – it was lots of fun!” “What did you do with the bulldozer, daddy?” “I helped dig a big pit in the ground of our enemy – helped knock […]
May 20, 2014 The Tent of Nations Peace Project came under an unwarranted, illegal and unannounced attack on May 19, 2014 by the Israeli Military. They brought in bulldozers and destroyed between 1,500 and 2,000 mature, fruit-bearing apricot and apple trees and grape vines in the lower valley on the farm. In addition, they reduced […]
Timeline of Events Dear Friends – The last time we called for action on the part of supporters of Tent of Nations, you all rallied within hours to write letters of personal concern and support for the Nassar Family. Those letters helped stop what could have been very destructive action on the farm by the […]
FOTONNA Emergency Response Plans Information Letter, Timeline of Events and Sample Appeal Letter Dear Friends of Tent of Nations, We are writing this letter to call for action against acts of injustice by the Israeli Military towards the Nassar family farm and theirTent of Nations Peace Project. This farm (known as Daher’s Vineyard) is located […]
Message from Daoud – April 7, 2014: We send greetings from all of us at Tent of Nations. Thank you so much for your prayers, for the words of encouragement and your continuous support. It is a critical time we are in as Palestinians. Very soon, the timeframe for the negotiations comes to an end […]
Dear Friends, We would like to share with you the latest news from the Tent of Nations, the situation on the ground, our concerns, but also our hope and how the project is moving forward. Political Situation The peace talks started again a couple of months ago but still we don’t see any positive outcome. […]
Dear Friends, You have placed your name in our email address list indicating your interest in hearing more about Daoud Nassar and his peace project in the West Bank – Tent of Nations. Thank you so much for attending his presentation and bearing witness to his story of struggle and faith in the face of […]
Dear Friends – As 2012 comes to a close, it is a time to reflect on a year of upheaval and ongoing change in the Middle East. We also need to look at things that never seem to change, such as: the Nassar Family’s continued work based on deep faith and strong convictions to non-violence […]
Dear Friends, It has been a while since you received our last update about the Tent of Nations and our struggle for justice. We would like to share with you the latest news from the Tent of Nations, the situation on the ground, our concerns, but also our hope and how the project is moving […]
The first video (below) will take you to Archbishop Tutu The second video will fill your heart as you seek liberty and justice for all!
NOTES FROM DAOUD – Here is the background statement from Daoud dated February 14, 2012 for those who do not know the events on the ground in the past month or so. Dear Friends, Today, the 14th of February at 1:30 PM and as we were working on our land, specifically in the Tree of […]
NOTES FROM DAOUD – The political situation is tenser now; many people are waiting for what is going to happen at the end of this month. It is becoming a daily subject to talk about, although all political windows seem to be closed, and September is a bad month for the Palestinians. But, still miracles […]
Spring 2011 Dear Friends – Greetings from the Tent of Nations! Once again here is a short update of our situation; what has been going on over the past few months and our future plans. It is sad to say that the news that is coming out from our region is still very bad. We […]
It is with deep sorrow that I write this newsletter. The events in Egypt and Tunisia have been bittersweet up to this point in time, and there is no way of knowing how they will affect the situation in the neighboring countries or in Israel/Palestine. We can only hold our collective breath and hope and […]
UPDATED INFORMATION ON HOW YOU AND YOUR CHURCH/ORGANIZATION CAN HELP: As you can see below, we are more than half way there! People continue to be very generous; however, there are still one-time projects that need your support. Shared donations can make a huge difference in whether these projects can be funded or not. Please […]
Speaking for the FOTONNA Steering Committee, I want to say that we feel so very privileged and honored to be a small part of the Nassar family’s work in their pursuit of Peace with Justice through the projects at Tent of Nations. We are left in awe at the tireless work this family performs, and […]