On the 96th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, Jordan Valley Solidarity and Palestinian Solidarity Movement for Free Palestine had a day of action calling for the Right of Return.

In the 1917 Balfour Declaration, Britain declared its support for the creation of a Jewish homeland, and promised to “use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of (that) object”. In a stroke they promised the Zionist Federation that they would give stolen Palestinian land for the construction of a Jewish state. After that promise the Zionists started to forcibly remove Palestinians from their land.

We were joined by 50 activists from the West Bank from Palestinian Solidarity Movement for Free Palestine did a Right of Return Action in the Jordan Valley.

The day of action, supported by around 50 activists from around the West Bank, is important because it demonstrates how this promise has affected Palestinians and shows how this legacy of stealing land continues.

Currently this same practice of stealing the land continues in the Jordan Valley with the expansions of settlements, as well as practices such as stealing water and the destruction of entire communities, rendering the living situation in the Jordan Valley almost impossible.

However, the people here are determined to stay on their land and continue the struggle, no matter how hard the military tries to make their lives.

We as Jordan Valley Solidarity and Palestinian Solidarity for a Free Palestine decided to support two communities in the north of the Jordan Valley in their struggle for their rights. We planted olive trees in both Samra and Al Hadidiya and worked on the school. In the future weeks we plan to finish the roof of the school, providing the children of Samra the right to education.

After drinking tea and hearing from Abu Saker about the situation in Al Hadidiya (as explained in detail below) we drove to the wall which separates Ras Al Ahmar from the other surrounding communities. The road passing through Ras Al Ahmar now has a gate which is closed except for three days of the week, from 7am until 2pm. This road used to be an important thoroughfare for the local communities to reach Tubas to get water and food. However, in the last month they have not opened the gate at all. Palestinians are prevented from cultivating the farm land behind the gate and wall.