Since 17th January the villagers of Al Maleh have faced daily repressions and demolitions at the hands of the Israeli Occupation Forces. In this period we have seen developments in the tactics employed by the IOF, that are of great concern, such as the closing of the village for a prolonged period of time, and the confiscation households possessions from those who’ve had their homes demolished.

This follows a winter of ongoing repression of this village, which was particularly extreme during the joint Israeli-US ‘Autere Challenge’ military training conducted in the area in November 2012.

Today, 24th January, following yet more demolitions in Al Maleh, the IOF moved to to Abel al Ajaaj community in Al Jiftlik and demolished four more homes.

Both of these communities are located near to particularly aggressive, expansionist illegal Israel settlements (Al Maleh is close to Maskiyyot settlement, and Abel al Ajaaj is very close to Massu’a). As a result both communities have experienced the direct violence of Israel’s illegal settlers and the IOF working with them, demolishing their home and denying them access to water.

On 20th January Brighton Jordan Valley Solidarity issued an appeal for support.

Today they have renewed the appeal, as the situation is now very serious for communities in the Jordan Valley.

Please circulate this appeal to your own contacts and networks. We also have a sample press release you can use if you would like a copy please email Brighton Jordan Valley Solidarity at brightonjvs@gmail.com.

Brihgton Jordan Valley Solidarity (JVS) is concerned that this is a tactic to make the residents of Al Maleh leave the area, and one which could spread to other areas in the Jordan Valley.

The demolitions are part of a long campaign against residents of Area C in the Jordan Valley. Palestinian residents of Area C, designated as under control of the Israeli administration during the Oslo Accords, are banned from building permanent structures or infrastructure and even prohibited from renovating their homes.

Brighton Jordan Valley Solidarity is calling for international solidarity activists to contact their political representatives to call for the lifting of the Closed Military Zone and for aid agencies to be able to provide assistance to the residents of Al Maleh

TAKE ACTION

We think it is important that we act on this and put pressures on the Israeli military to lift the Closed Military Zone.

Please your contact political representatives to raise it with the army.

Commander of the IDF – West Bank
Major-General Nitzan Alon
GOC Central Command
Military Post 01149
Battalion 877
Israel Defense Forces, Israel
Fax: +972 2 530 5724

Or have your representatives raise the issue with the relevant Israeli Ambassador or politicians in Israel

We also want people to take action in line with the Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (see http://www.bdsmovement.net/) against Volvo, which provided the buses which transported the army to the demolitions and JCB which manufactured the bulldozers used in the demolitions (http://corporateoccupation.org/jcb-and-volvo-machines-used-in-demolitions-in-al-maleh-and-al-mayta-17113/).

Please circulate this call for action widely.

For more information phone +972543068259 or +972549032648 or email brightonjvs@gmail.com.

Background information:

At around nine in the morning on January 17th, a demolition order imposed on the village of Hamamat Al-Maleh, which includes the community of Al-Mayta, was carried out by the Israeli army and police. The demolition crew also included an unidentifiable group of balaclava-clad workers. Residents were given forty days notice of the demolition order. In Hamamat Al-Maleh, twenty-five houses were destroyed, including eighteen in al-Mayta, displacing seventeen families. Another 33 structures used for keeping livestock, and therefore the livelihood of these communities, were demolished. 130 people live in al-Mayta, with around 37 families in demolished areas of Al-Maleh.

Further information about demolitions in Al Maleh and Abel al Ajaaj:

http://www.jordanvalleysolidarity.org/news/al-maleh-village-appeal-for-aaction

http://jordanvalleysolidarity.org/news/demolitions-in-al-maleh-and-abu-al-ajaj

http://www.http://jordanvalleysolidarity.org/news/demolitions-in-al-maleh-and-abu-al-ajaj

http://jordanvalleysolidarity.org/news/demolitions-in-al-maleh-and-abu-al-ajajbuildings-demolished-in-al-maleh

http://jordanvalleysolidarity.org/news/demolitions-in-al-maleh-and-abu-al-ajajthe-new-year-in-the-jordan-valley

About Jordan Valley Solidarity

Jordan Valley Solidarity campaign is a network of Palestinian grassroots community groups from all over the Jordan Valley and international supporters. Our aims are to protect Palestinian existence and the unique environment of the Jordan Valley by building international support and supporting communities on the ground.