Everyone has the right to life and to live in freedom and safety.

Everyone has the right to own property and possessions without fear that they will be taken away. Articles 3 and 17, Universal Declaration of Human Rights

OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES:

Village of Nabi Saleh

Welcome to the village of Nabi Saleh. About 550 Palestinians live here. As you approach, you see farmland all around the village. Olive trees grow well here. A natural spring provides fresh water. But there is a problem. There is a lot of tension between the Palestinians and their Israeli neighbours. Without asking permission, Israeli families moved onto the land in 1977. Their population has grown and they are now using the farmland. They will not let the Palestinians take water from the spring which they have turned into a tourist attraction. The Israeli army has set up a military base there, as well. Every Friday, the Palestinian villagers have organized peaceful protests. They wish the army and the Israeli settlers would leave. The army responds to peaceful protests with a lot of force. So far they have hurt hundreds of people, including women and children. The army also does things to scare the villagers. They patrol at night, shoot tear gas at homes to cause damage and sometimes prevent Palestinians from leaving their village.

Nariman Tamimi is a Palestinian from Nabi Saleh. She raises her voice at the Friday protests.

Please write to Israels Minister of Defence.

Start with Dear Minister. Describe who you are and what concerns you about the intrusion of Israeli settlers and army on Palestinian land at Nabi Saleh. Ask the Minister to stop the excessive and unnecessary force by the Israeli security forces against demonstrators in Nabi Saleh. Here is a sample letter you could use: Dear Minister, My name is ___ and I live in ___. Please make sure the Palestinians in Nabi Saleh have a secure source of water and access to their fields. Please ask the Israeli army not to bother them so they can live in peace. Send your letter to: Minister of Defence Moshe Yaalon Ministry of Defence 37 Kaplan Street, Hakirya Tel Aviv 61909, Israel Fax: Email: Twitter : Postage: 011 972 3 691 6940 minister@mod.gov.il @bogie_yaalon $1.85

What else can I do? Support from places like Canada boosts the villagers spirits. Send a letter or a card or a photo of yourself to this address: Naji Tamimi Nabi Saleh Birzeit/Ramallah Palestine Apart from religious cards, any card is fine. You may mention Amnesty International and you may include your return address. Or leave a message on Nabi Salehs Facebook page: bit.ly/nabi-saleh

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