The West Bank community of Umm al-Khair has been consumed by the illegal Israeli settlement of Carmel. But despite losing land and loved ones, Palestinians there refuse to leave. “This is my land,” says Ahmad Hathaleen. “This is where I belong.”
President Biden has spoken clearly of his commitment to human rights and the residents of Masafar Yatta hoped he would acknowledge the threat we face during his recent visit to Palestine. However, when the Israeli army canceled live ammunition training in our villages in for the duration of the president’s visit, he chose to ignore what could soon become the largest forced displacement of Palestinians ever since 1967.