Our friends at The Tent of Nations suffered a dreadful blow on the 18th of May, as Israeli Defence Force bulldozers demolished fruit trees on their farm. Daoud Nassar explains below:
Today at 08.00, Israeli bulldozers came to the fertile valley of the farm where we planted fruit trees 10 years ago, and destroyed the terraces and all our trees there. More than 1500 apricot and apple trees as well as grape plants were smashed and destroyed.
We informed our lawyer who is preparing the papers for appeal. Please be prepared to respond. We will need your support as you inform friends, churches and representatives when action is needed. Please wait for the moment and we will soon let you know about next steps and actions.
Thank you so much for all your support and solidarity.
Blessings and Salaam,
Daoud
St Luke’s Uniting Church stands in solidarity with the Tent of Nations and the Nassar family and their commitment ‘We refuse to be enemies’.
More details on the story can be found at http://mashallahnews.com/?p=12218 and through the Tent of Nations’ Facebook page
As minister, I express my dismay at the needless destruction of private property by the IDF, particularly as the demolition cannot be undone and the ten years that the trees grew and were fruitful cannot be given back in any compensation. I am sure that many in the congregation and many in our nation would join me in condemning this injustice and the complicity of many nations that facilitates the systematic dispossession and marginalisation of the Palestinian people in the land that they too call home.