Update April 17, 2003

Update on the Nassar Farm Land Case (from the Nassar Family)

Dear friends,

In the last few weeks the Nassar family has been anxiously preparing for the scheduled high court hearing which was supposed to take place on 27 April 2003 (Orthodoc Easter Sunday). The Israeli military representative was originally supposed to submit his final arguments to the Nassar family's legal representative by 1 April. The first week of April we
were informed that the final arguments would not be submitted until the eve of the Jewish festival of Passover on 16 April, just 11 days prior to the day of the expected final decision. Then, on the afternoon of 16 April, a postponement of the final decision was once again requested by the Israeli military representative and this postponement has been granted. No new date has been scheduled.

Although the family's lawyer has previously indicated that the high court displays a historical reluctance to overturn lower court rulings in cases involving land ownership disputes, this second postponement would seem to confirm the impression of many people and organizations that have been consulted on this case: that the Nassar family has an exceptionally strong case for legal ownership and that a landmark ruling which would be detrimental to existing Israeli land acquisition policies could result. As we await a new date for the high court ruling, we ask that you continue to pray and advocate for a just outcome.

Since the last update, the Tent of Nations project has continued to organize activities and encounters to promote the case and facilitate the implementation of the project. The following is a summary of events since 12 March 2003.

Visitors:
1. On 20 and 21 March Pastor Bettina Krause of Switzerland visited along with a Swiss colleague and participated in a discussion on the issues of reconciliation and peaceful coexistence. They also toured the property to reconfirm their support of the Tent of Nations project and to view recent infrastructural developments.

2. On 29 March, a small group consisting of two members of the Swiss Friends of Tent of Nations plus Martha Troxler of Kinder Hilfe/Caritas Hospital and Rebecca Johnson of the World Council of Churches visited for the purpose of receiving an overview of the project and a description of current activities. Rebecca Johnson is evaluating the project for possible volunteer assignments and future cooperation with the World Council of Churches.

3. On 31 March Dror Etkes of Peace Now's Settlement Watch accompanied photographer Gary Fabiola to the property in order to photograph family members and the surrounding settlement-choked landscape. These photos will accompany John Anderson's article scheduled for publication in the Washington Post this month.

4. Pem Rutgers-Sluitjer visited Bethlehem Bible College on 14 April to discuss the case. Pem, a journalist in the Netherlands, has been in previous contact with the family and has written articles emphasizing the case in an attempt to expose her fellow Dutch citizens to the injustices taking place in Palestine and the importance of projects such as Tent of Nations.

5. Because of the war on Iraq, some groups that had previously scheduled visits for the end of March postponed and are expected in April and May.

Advocacy Activities:
1. A tree planting activity involving students of Bethlehem Bible College and nonviolent activists from Holy Land Trust is being organized to take place at the end of April or beginning of May.

2. The family has scheduled a picnic on the land for 20 April 2003, Easter Sunday. In addition to family members, Jewish and Palestinian friends as well as internationals will be invited to join the festivities. We look forward to a day of shared peace and enjoyment.

3. Michael Cartwright published a brief article promoting the Tent of Nations project entitled, "Pitching a Tent to Encourage Peace." The article can be viewed at www.indystar.com or a copy can be made available upon request.

4. Family legal representative Jonathan Kuttab has initiated a case against the settlers of Neve Daniel for trespassing and destruction of private property. This will involve an additional $5000 in legal fees. If you are interested in contributing toward the payment of legal fees, please contact tnations@p-ol.com.

5. A request was submitted to Gush Shalom Israeli Peace Bloc (info@gush-shalom.org) to organize a vigil in front of the Supreme Court building on the rescheduled date of the court hearing. It is hoped that a wide representation of individuals, human rights organizations, and religious leaders will join this vigil and show solidarity for the Nassar family's claim to ownership of the property.

6. The Applied Research Institute in Jerusalem has posted the Nassar Land case as a case study of Israeli land acquisition policies in Palestine. It can be viewed at www.arij.org.

Tent of Nations Project Activities:
1. Development on the infrastructure of the property is proceeding in order to accommodate guests for summer activities. Caves located on the property are being renovated to serve as lecture/meditation spaces. Basic camping facilities are ready and several groups have made tentative reservations for the summer months. Again we are thankful to Swiss Friends of Tent of Nations, without whose financial support this project could not proceed. Groups and individuals interested in scheduling use of the facilities should contact tnations@p-ol.com. Day programs are also available. Church groups and solidarity visits are
welcome.

2. Tent of Nations seeks to develop a network with other local youth groups and peace organizations in order to coordinate activities and cooperate on projects promoting the goals of these groups. As this network is established, a youth committee will be appointed to develop an agenda and series of appropriate events. Youth involvement will be the focus and productive engagement in the community will be the goal. A series of summer camps will be conducted in the coming months and these
activities will be reported on in subsequent updates.

We will inform you as soon as we have a new date for the final decision by the high court. In the meantime, thank you for your continued interest and support!

Sincerely,
The Nassar Family
Bethlehem