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 demanded an explanation from the Israeli military authorities regarding why they destroyed the trees on land that the Supreme Court had recognized as private property in 2007. It was at that time that they had asked the military authorities to re-register the land in our family name. In 2007, we started the process of re-registration, but the military authorities kept postponing the process even until today. The destruction of our trees in May 2014 was done without respect to the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision and request in 2007. When we brought the tree case before the Supreme Court in 2014, they gave the Military authorities until the 15th of September to answer the question of why they had not acted on the 2007 request to re-register the land. The military authorities, however, asked for another month, until the 15th of October, to reply. It is the 20th of October today, and still we didn’t hear anything from the military authorities. The lawyer is planning to wait a couple of days before taking any action. Thanks for all your support as we move through the Israeli courts one more time. It seems that Justice will have to wait awhile. On the ground, and as a way to deal with our frustration, we are investing our energy in rebuilding and preparing the land for new trees. This coming winter we are planning to plant 3,000-5,000 new trees. Thanks to all who sponsored the tree-planting project. We are expecting many friends to come and help with planting. Daoud NassarDirector Tent of Nations -People Building Bridges- (Note from FOTONNA:) When we hear what is happening, we will send an update to you immediately; it will also be posted on our website in the Updates section. If we feel that there is a need to activate our Emergency Response Plan (ERP), we will let you know.
HEADS UP!!
– FOTONNA WEBSITE IS BEING UPDATED –
CHECK IT OUT ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2014
We are reaching out into the broader area of Palestinian issues that go beyond direct impact on TON. There is no question that the war on Gaza and the confiscation of land in the area near the farm does have an impact, though not so directly. We will keep you informed as much as possible with updates on our website. We have added a number of items and have made it much easier to negotiate and to find the latest information we have posted. Let us know if you like what you see there; send any suggestions for improvement to kay@fotonna.org.
FINANCIAL REPORT
We will include a complete 2014 Financial Report in our Spring 2015 Newsletter. Your generosity has been remarkable, and we thank you all for your support. It does take a village!
In appreciation – The FOTONNA Steering Committee
TOUR SCHEDLE
The Fall 2014 Tour will take place in Harwich, MA, Minneapolis/Twin Cities, MN and surrounding towns, La Crosse, WI, and Decatur, IA. You can see the complete schedule on our website: Updates – Current Tour Information.