Save West Bank Villages!

Palestinian villages in the West Bank are at risk of destruction and suffocation by new Israeli settlements. Save the Palestinian villages Deir Samet, Sinjil, and Almughayer!

Do you know Mona? Here in Evanston, IL, many of us know Mona well. She has stayed in our houses, played with our children, read Palestinian poetry with us, laughed and cried with us. She is our Auntie and our Sister. Many of us consider her Palestinian village of Deir Samet our “sister village” that is an extension of our families in Evanston.Now Mona’s family is in danger. This December, Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich made an announcement on a mountain overlooking Mona’s village Deir Samit: 19 new illegal Israeli settlements are approved for construction in the West Bank, including three that will surround Deir Samit. Smotrich said that the decision to build these settlements on this mountain in the Hebron district was about “blocking the establishment of a Palestinian state”.These new settlements will cut off Deir Samit’s access to the main road in and out, isolating and confining Mona, her family and 12,000 other Palestinians to a place with no access to food, water, work, medical care and other essential services.This is the third time the villagers will be uprooted and have their homes and farmlands stolen by Israel. Israel already denies this village access to drinking water for themselves and for their crops. Since October, 2023, our friends in this village have been cut off from their jobs, losing all their incomes. Small children dig through landfill, seeking items to sell and food to eat.Do you know Nida? She's a mom and grandmother of 9, and a Chicagoland pharmacist. A 15 foot segregation fence now cuts her family off from their home and their land in Sinjil. There is now a segregated road that Nida's family are NOT allowed to use. They can not drive to their own home for fear of violent attacks. The Israeli army invaded her home and destroyed it, including laptops, walls, and plumbing. Worse still, radical Israeli settler violence has now killed many in her village, including a young American beaten to death by an Israeli mob. Her nephew was shot in the leg two years ago. Her cousin was killed by an explosive device 20 years ago. And on October 6, 2023, one day before October 7th, an Israeli lynch mob attacked her brother, and no one was arrested and no one covered it on the news.Do you know Hana? Her sister's home and car were burned down by Israeli settlers during a recent pogrom in Almughayer. 1600 of their family trees were destroyed by Israeli bulldozers, and settlers shot two of her cousin's horses to death. None of the Israelis were arrested.Palestinians in Almughayer are no longer allowed to harvest the 12,000 olive trees, even though Hana has video of the Israeli settlers stealing the olives. Just a few months ago a young man was killed by Israeli settlers as he tried to stop them from burning his home down. She fears for the life of her family, now surrounded by racist Israeli lynch mobs who leave "death to Arabs" graffiti on the homes they attack. And recently, Israeli settlers entered the village and beat a baby lamb to death.The Bigger PictureIsrael’s government has announced 19 new Israeli-only (and completely illegal) settlements on Palestinian land in the West Bank. Israel has intentionally placed these new settlements close to Palestinian villages, to surround, crowd, harass, cut-off, and ultimately ethnically cleanse all Palestinians from their land.What does this look like?Israeli settlements crowd Palestinian villages so thoroughly that Palestinian homes are literally caged in right up to their exterior walls.Israel locks entire Palestinian villages behind cages and gates that only Israel controls (like a prison).Israel has built Israeli-only highways across the West Bank, blocked Palestinian roads, and created slow checkpoints that only Palestinians (not Israelis) must cross through to travel through the West Bank. A one-hour trip through the West Bank for an Israeli is a 12-hour trip for a Palestinian.Meet the VillagesWe want to save Sinjil, Deir Samet, and Almughayer. Each of these villages are in a precarious situation, and all three have Chicagoland connections.Sinjil is already caged and behind a second Israeli-controlled gate. Only Israel decides when residents can leave…and when the gate is closed, 35,000 Palestinians are locked in. Here’s a video of Sinjil that shows you what this looks like.Almughayer is already crowded by three Israeli settlements that are encroaching and under constant acts of violence and destruction by the Israeli army and settlers. Here’s a video that highlights Almughayer.Deir Samet will soon be surrounded by three brand new Israeli settlements, and the residents fear their fate will soon be Sinjil’s or Almughayer’s or worse.

We’re demanding our Federal and State elected officials call the State Department and the Israeli Consulate to SAVE DEIR SAMET, ALMUGHAYER, AND SINJIL, and protect all Palestinian West Bank villages from illegal Israeli settlements.Call your federal and state elected representatives with this demand today! Here's a link to find your elected officials.Then, consider a donation to provide direct support to these Palestinian villages who are struggling to pay for basic needs like food and water due to Israeli control over both.Interested in learning more or taking further actions?
Consider one of these Chicagoland groups:For Palestinian-led actions and activism, check out USPCN
If you’re Jewish, check out JVP Chicago or If Not Now Chicago
If you live in Evanston, check out Evanston For a Free Palestine

Contact Us

Who We Are

Save The Villages is a small coalition of Chicagoland organizers with personal connections to these West Bank villages. We are Palestinians, Jews, Muslims, Christians, and more. We care so deeply about our Palestinian friends and family affected by Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and we're doing our best to raise awareness for long-term change and fundraise for short-term needs.Save The Villages is administered by Evanston For A Free Palestine.