Email Subject Line: Time Sensitive action needed prior to May 15, 2023
I am writing to you (again) regarding Tent of Nations – an international peace center and farm, located 6 miles southwest of Bethlehem, in Area C of the West Bank, which hosts upwards of 10,000 pilgrims and volunteers every year. Tent of Nations embodies a transformative example of hope in the midst of a conflict-ridden area. The Nassar family has owned the 100 acre farm since 1916, and possesses legal documents to prove this. They have struggled in Israeli Military and Supreme Courts to keep the land from confiscation since 1991 when it was declared “state land” by Israel.
I am asking you to urge State Department officials to continue to pressure Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) to hold the May 15 hearing and to complete re-registration of the Nassar family’s land.
I think this is an urgent matter, and I am particularly concerned about the proposed changes to the judicial system in Israel, that could restrict the right of Palestinians to access the Israeli Supreme Court. This would have dire consequences for the Nassars. If the Committee refuses to re-register the Nassars’ land, their access to appeal this decision will be closed.
The farm’s location on a hill, surrounded by five illegal Israeli settlements, makes it vulnerable to the creeping annexation underway in much of Area C. The annexation of Palestinian land and settlement spread is contrary to U.S. policy and is an impediment to a just solution
I would be happy to provide you with background information that you can use in your call or written communication with the State Department. I am also able to provide a template for you to use in your letter or call to Secretary Blinken.
Please call me at (phone number) or email me at (email address) to request these materials and to inform me about what you have done to follow up on this particular case.