A Palestinian committed to peace was supposed to speak at synagogues, churches, & universities across the U.S. about the power of nonviolence and bringing an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He had a valid visa and had visited the U.S. before. Instead he was denied entry & sent back to Palestine without explanation.
The death of Hamdy Na’asan, shot in the back, was not an unexpected or isolated event. Amira Hass reports: “Land that is hard to steal by means of Israeli laws – the masterpiece of our finest legal scholars – is stolen by means of the settlers’ violent, sacred fire and code of silence.”
On Saturday, Israeli soldiers tried to seize playground equipment from a Palestinian park, but were chased off.
On Sunday, 45 Americans along with 20 Israelis and Palestinians were detained and had their passports photographed after helping repair a playground near Bethlehem; Israel claims the group were rioting and engaging in illegal construction.