Unarmed Civilian Protection in the West Bank of Palestine Needs Our Help

by David Berrian

Ras al-Auja is the last Bedouin community in the West Bank of Palestine. They get by from raising sheep and goats and doing just a bit of agriculture. There had been many other Bedouin communities in the area, but because of Israeli settler harassment and violence the families in those villages have had to flee. Ras al-Auja is the only Bedouin community remaining that has been able to resist ethnic cleansing up until now.

The families in Ras al-Auja are trying to stay. However, they face almost daily incidents of harassment, trespass, humiliation, theft, and assault. Israeli police protect the settlers even when settlers are clearly committing violence on the Palestinians. Women are afraid to go out of the house; children are afraid to go to school; sheep and goats are stolen; water systems are damaged; if a house is unoccupied, it is ransacked and torn apart. This is part of the Israeli government’s strategy to occupy the West Bank and prevent a Palestinian State. Ras al-Auja villagers are discouraged and wonder whether anyone really cares about them.

There is now a pilot project taking place in Ras al-Auja. Experienced unarmed civilian protectors from around the world are stationed 24/7 in the village. They nonviolently confront the Israeli settlers when they come and try to stop harassment and deescalate tension. They document the incidents of theft and violence. They coordinate with Israeli groups who want violence on Palestinians to stop. They accompany men when herding sheep and children when going to school to protect them. They make the community feel less alone and more secure.

Part of this project is to establish channels of communication between the villagers and supporters throughout the world. They are doing that by setting up monthly Zoom calls that connect community leaders and members of the Unarmed Civilian Protection in Palestine (UCPiP) Support Network. On these calls we see the Ras al-Auja villagers as real people and we hear their experiences and concerns. When we hear that the village has been attacked it is no longer academic. These are people we have seen and heard and we have concrete information to share with influencers and politicians who may have some say about US and Israeli policies that fuel this ethnic cleansing.

You can keep up-to-date on how the UCPiP project is progressing by following UCPiP – Palestine channels on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Also, there is good information on the UCPiP website at www.ucpip.org . Perhaps the best way to keep informed is to become part of the UCPiP Support Network. You can add yourself to the Network on the UCPiP website or if you email me (dberrian@earthlink.net) with your name, email address, and location, I can add you to the list. There are current Support Groups in Port Townsend, WA; Nelson, BC; Montana, Minneapolis, and New York City.

I know many of you are already working in solidarity with Palestine. Being part of the UCPiP Support Network is not a substitute for the work you are already doing. Rather it is an adjunct that can add a personal dimension to our often frustrating political efforts. If you are a member of a congregation, a Palestine solidarity group, or other organization that cares about Palestinian lives and wants Palestine to survive, please consider having the whole group becoming part of the UCPiP Support Network.

The UCPiP project needs our help and our presence. Thank you for your solidarity.