PETITION: SAVE TENT OF NATIONS

To:   Anthony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State

We, the undersigned, representing tens of thousands of supporters around the world, are writing on behalf of Tent of Nations, a peace project located on the Nassar family’s 100-acre farm, located six miles southwest of Bethlehem in Area C of the West Bank, occupied Palestinian territory. Area C is under Israeli civil and military control. The Nassar family purchased the land more than one hundred years ago and has been continuously living on and farming this land since then. In 2001, the Nassar family named their farm Tent of Nations, receiving visitors from around the world to foster a connection between the land and people. The farm is dedicated to sustainable agriculture and hosts programs for women and children from the area. In 2019, the number of international visitors was close to 10,000. Tent of Nations is supported by church and religious organizations in the U.S.A. and Europe, who host visits to the farm, help support Tent of Nations’ educational and peacebuilding programs, and sponsor volunteers who live and work on the farm.

In 1991, Israel declared the Nassar farm “state land,” beginning a process designed to force the Nassar family to leave their property so that it can be absorbed by the neighboring Jewish settlement. Since then, the family has been engaged in the courts to prevent Israel’s efforts to take their land. They have submitted documentation of ownership, fulfilled requirements for repeated land surveys, complied with requested applications and other administrative hurdles, and successfully appealed orders to demolish structures and to cease agricultural activities. Following a lengthy and costly series of applications, denials, delays and appeals, in 2006, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the Nassars could begin the re-registration of their property required by Israel of landowners in Area C. Since then, however, the process has been subject to continued delays on the part of Israeli military and civil authorities. In 2019, the Nassars finally received confirmation that their application was complete, but additional delays and demolition orders followed. The Israeli Registration Committee met in February 2021 to discuss the Nassar’s re-registration application. Despite repeated inquiries, the Nassars continue to await notification of the results of that meeting.

The delay in the land re-registration continues to expose the Nassar farm to the risk of destruction and confiscation. Settlement expansion and road construction have accelerated, isolating the Tent of Nations farm. In May 2021, a fire, considered to be arson, destroyed over 1000 fruit trees. In June, Israeli army soldiers entered the land without warning with a bulldozer, destroying approximately 50 fruit trees. It is critical that the re-registration of the Nassar farm be completed without further delay. Completion of the land re-registration constitutes Israeli authorities’ recognition of the Nassars as the private owners of this land and ends their legal struggle.

We strongly urge that Israel immediately grant the re-registration of the Nassar land (re-registration Case Nos. 3714/2 and 3715/2). We further demand that eviction and demolition orders and other acts against the Nassar property cease.

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