Dear Friends,

We would like to begin by saying thank you! The response to our ‘Water Access For All’ campaign was overwhelming. To all those who donated, shared our story, and contributed in any way, we are grateful to have you by our side. We aren’t finished and we won’t stop yet. While we have provided much a needed voice and relief to families living without water, there are hundreds more still cut off from the mains, animals left without water to drink and crops drying out needlessly. We are heading back this week to the Jordan Valley to work with communities in time for the seasonal rains which are approaching and are a lifeline for so many. Why work on access to water when it’s raining? Well, not only are Palestinian communities not connected to the water grid, but they are forbidden from collecting rain water as well! Below is a recap of the campaign, and some photos of our recent work in Area C.

You may well have seen in the press the work we have been doing following Minister Gantz’s decision to designate six Palestinian NGOs as terrorist groups. You could wonder why we are so involved in this when we aren’t on the list. Why not keep our head down and keep going? The answer is simple - it is a direct attack on the human rights of hundreds of Palestinians employed by these NGOs, and a renewed effort to limit civil liberties in Palestine. We won’t stand by while the government of Israel actively works to suppress the freedom of movement and self expression for Palestinians further. 

As well as a freeze on the unjust designation order, we are calling for a criminal investigation into Minister Gantz and his latest actions. Under Section 281 of the Israeli penal code, a four-year prison sentence can be imposed on a person who deliberately provides false information that leads to a deprivation of rights. Sound familiar?

An attack on these six organisations is an attack on us all.

Al-Haq, Addameer, the Bisan Center, the Defense for Children International-Palestine, the Union for Agricultural Work Committees and the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees

We stand with you! We stand for equality and freedom, and we won’t shy away from defending what's right - even if that means jumping in the hot water too. Occupation strips so many of dignity and liberty, and we must do everything within our power to protect and defend the human rights which remain - no matter the power of the bully we face. Join us.