I recall Nasser Nawajeh from the threatened village of Susya saying, "When they expelled us in 1986 there was nothing we could do because we were alone. We're not alone any more."  Neither Palestinians from Susya nor public housing tenants in Beit Shean were alone.  There were rabbis at their side, upholding Torah. 

In January, we planted trees.  In February, the army committed not to move the Jahalin Bedouin before providing for them.  We prevented the eviction of Ovadia Ben Avraham, and stopped the former Palestinian village of Lifta from becoming a pricey housing development. 

KKL-JNF promised not to forest over Al-Arakib before courts determined ownership. In April we plowed, prevented the demolition of Mnezel's solar panels, and Leah Shemi's eviction.  In May the Hushiya family brought in their wheat harvest after five years. In the Twamin valley, it was the first in ten.

In June, Abu-Jabar was compensated for tree destruction. In August we cleaned out Bir El Id's water cistern next to the Mitzpeh Yair outpost.

October through December we insured that most farmers could harvest their olives, and the army returned lands to Fawzi Hussein. We replaced A-Sawya's destroyed trees.

All year we taught in Israel and abroad, helped the weak overcome the system in Hadera and Beit Shean, marched and visited sites of "Price Tag" terror.  We worked to change home demolition policy through the courts, and public housing policy in the Knesset.

We have not always succeeded.  I am haunted asking, "Could we have convinced Moshe Silman z"l to give us more time to solve his housing problems?"  Hundreds of Palestinian trees were cut down. The South Sudanese were expelled, as was Rachel Levy.  Communities are under threat in East Jerusalem and the South Hebron Hills.
...

We have much more to do. And we will.

The public housing work RHR began in Beit Shean and in the tent encampments led to the Public Housing Forum.  The Forum created a caucus of some 20 coalition and opposition MK's.  Our experiences in Beit Shean informed the legislative proposals we wrote to restore Israel's deteriorating commitment to ensuring that every Israeli has a decent and safe roof over their head. 

Nevertheless, RHR continues in Beit Shean.  We keep our fingers on the pulse, and identify additional policy issues and grass roots partners.  We are reminded just why we are going to the Knesset, and "One who saves a single life, it is as if one has saved an entire world."

One legislative proposal would create a public body, including tenants, to hold the public housing companies accountable.  Our work had taught us that many people live in unacceptable conditions until an outside seeing eye breaks the conspiracy of silence.

For example, "Yehuda," was living in a public apartment without water or electricity, and literally black with rot from floor to ceiling. We were told that Moshe had refused repairs.  RHR's Rabbi Kobi Weiss finally arranged for Moshe, the officials, and Channel 10 news to meet at the apartment.  Magically, repairs began, but we may need to apply more pressure because they haven't been completed.

RHR lawyers toured the Shilo Valley with the army, as part of efforts to return Palestinian farmers to their lands.  We worked on a freedom of information request to obtain the decisions of Plia Albeck in the 1980s declaring private Palestinian land as State land.  Settlers appealed three decisions we obtained to remove them from Palestinian lands.  Our High Court appeal to return planning authority in Area C to Palestinians was postponed.

RHR's socioeconomic justice staff expanded its door to door efforts to the Givat Olga neighborhood.  That very same day phone calls and drop ins to the RHR's Hadera Rights Center increased dramatically.

RHR participated in a round table discussion strategizing to stop the wave of Negev Bedouin home demolitions.

RHR's OT field staff planned the olive tree planting schedule, obtained additional days for Jayous farmers to cross the separation barrier and finish their olive harvest, and dealt with various attacks.  Volunteers taught English to the Jahalin. Student Rabbi Jonathan Sheff met with Muslims, Christians and Jews studying for the clergy.

RHR and coalition partners wrote letters to the State Comptroller urging him not to concede in his struggle to insure that NIS 130 million from the dissolved Prazot public housing company be used for public housing.

Rabbi Arik Ascherman was on trial twice this past week.  In 2009 he was accused of blocking a Palestinian access road dominated by an outpost until the army released a Palestinian, and was one of fifteen activists accused of sitting down next to police blockades in Sheikh Jarakh in 2010.

Media highlights included Rabbi Ascherman on Gaza in the Huffington Post and an Israeli feature on planning in Area C.

With the 2012-2013 academic year well underway, Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR) is busy providing a range of educational programs.  RHR operates two human rights yeshivot, teaches courses in 13 pre-army academies using RHR's Talmudic style commentary on Israel's Declaration of Independence, and runs a "Sister Citizens for Equality" program for Jewish and Bedouin Israeli women to learn about and take on issues of women’s rights and human rights together. 

This year, the students in all of RHR’s educational programs will participate in human rights tours about African asylum seekers, guest workers, poverty, and prostitution in South Tel Aviv. Through each of these programs, the students will also meet with Palestinians and Bedouin in East Jerusalem, Hebron, the South Hebron Hills, and the Negev to learn about their struggles for land, property, civil, and political rights.

The pre-army academies are yearlong programs offered to young Israelis between high school and the army.  Many students will go on to be officers. Therefore, RHR sees this as a chance to challenge these young people to think about Judaism and human rights at a critical juncture in their lives.  

The Human Rights Yeshiva is entering its ninth year at Hebrew University, which RHR runs in conjunction with Hillel. This year RHR is offering its Human Rights Yeshiva program at Emek Yizrael College in the Galilee as well.  

"Sister Citizens for Equality" is entering the third and final year for this cohort of Jewish and Bedouin Israeli women.  These women study about the status of women and human rights in their various faith traditions, get the tools to be activists, and run projects together.  

For all RHR updates at     http://rhr.org.il/eng/index.php/category/newsletter/   or on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/RabbisForHumanRights

Under the threat of an upcoming High Court discussion, the Civil Administration finally issued an order forbidding Israelis to enter 25 acres of land belonging to Fawzi Ibrahim from Jalud. Tzvi Struk and other settlers had violently taken over Fawzi's land next to the Aish Kodesh and Akhia outposts in 2011, actually planting a vineyard on part of his land.  Until Rabbis for Human Rights (RHR) intervened, the army did nothing, and sometimes even helped the settlers expel Fawzi from his land.  After RHR appealed to the High Court, the army acknowledged that the land had been illegally taken over, but Struk appealed.  Last week the State Attorney notified the court that the order had finally been signed.  RHR will now make sure that Fawzi can safely work his land, and continue our efforts to return additional lands in the area and throughout the occupied territories.  Click here for more information.

In 2006, RHR obtained a decision from the Legal Advisor in the occupied territories that the 125 acres taken over by Ya'akov Talya must be returned to the Palestinian owners.  They have been able to work their lands ever since. Immediately after the decision, RHR helped the Abu-Samra family plant trees on part of their land.   However, Talya appealed the decision, forcing us to go back to court.  Three weeks ago, Talya withdrew his appeal, acknowledging that the law was not on his side.  However, he reserved the right to appeal again, AND EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT IF ISRAEL ADAPTS THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE LEVY COMMISSION, THE LAW WILL BE ON HIS SIDE.  The Commission was formed by the government to legalize settler outposts build on lands Israel recognizes as owned by Palestinians.  

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