Friends,
I was in Umm al-Khair days ago. It’s a Palestinian village in the South Hebron Hills – one many in our J Street community know so well.
We’ve brought Members of Congress and community leaders there to meet families and see firsthand what life under occupation looks like. We heard from residents who believe, deeply, in the power of joint Israeli and Palestinian nonviolent activism.
What I heard this week broke my heart. And it could very well get worse in the coming days.
Israeli authorities issued demolition orders for 13 buildings – including homes and even the community center. They are threatening to destroy the heart of this community in real time.
We cannot look away. Add your name to call on Congress to demand an immediate halt to these demolitions and press the Trump Administration to hold the Netanyahu government accountable.
⚠️ We have days to act before the destruction could begin.
Sign our petition: Stop Demolitions in Umm al-Khair
After signing, we’ll send you a short call script so you can reach out directly to your Members of Congress.
The demolition orders came right after a visit by MK Zvi Sukkot from Ben-Gvir’s extremist party. He toured the illegal settler outpost built right above the village and threatened its Palestinian residents, saying their community “will be taken care of.”
This kind of brutality is nothing new.
For years, the people of Umm al-Khair have faced relentless land theft and settler violence. Settlers have uprooted their olive trees, cut water pipes and tormented families outside their own homes – all while IDF soldiers stand by and do nothing.
Just months ago, Awdah Hathaleen, a beloved community leader and nonviolent activist, was shot and killed by a settler who was previously sanctioned by the Biden Administration.
To truly understand the injustice, you only need to look across the way to the well-resourced, gated settlement of Carmel.
While Carmel enjoys paved streets, manicured lawns and swimming pools, the families of Umm al-Khair live in simple structures – denied permits to build, pave roads or connect to running water and electricity. The contrast is devastating: Two communities side by side, one thriving under state protection, the other struggling to survive.
These demolition orders are a final gut punch. Punishment for people so resilient that they have refused to give up their homes, no matter how intolerable the settlers or the Netanyahu government have made life for them.
Friends: Please take a moment right now to add your name and help stop the destruction of Umm al-Khair before it’s too late >>
With determination,
Lexi Goldwyn
Deputy Political Director, J Street
