Jordan Valley Solidarity
By spending time in Palestine, and building lasting relationships with people and organisations there, we are able to understand the situation far better, and strengthen our campaigning work here. Brighton and Hove PSC works closely with Brighton Jordan Valley Solidarity. They work on grassroots projects led by Palestinians in the Jordan Valley. This includes delegations to Palestine, information, twinning projects, challenging the occupation, and support for boycott, divestment and sanctions.Activists from Brighton have also spent time in Palestine with the International Solidarity Movement and International Women’s Peace Service, supporting Palestinian communities in their resistance to Israeli apartheid through non-violent direct action.
There are several other organisations that work in Palestine to support local communities, especially during the Olive Harvest, and which also organise fact finding tours of the West Bank. These include: Siraj Centre for Holy Land Studies, Alternative Tourism Group, The Holy Land Trust, Zaytoun, Christian Peacemakers
Brighton Jordan Valley Solidarity
Contact:
brightonjvs@gmail.com
Since 2006 activists from the Tubas region and Jordan Valley in Palestine, and Brighton in the UK, have been working together. In Brighton we aim to show our friendship and solidarity through practical support.
Delegations:
Regular delegations to Palestine to inform and inspire action. These are usually in the spring and autumn each year.
Information:
Using articles, photos and videos to record Palestinian accounts of Israel’s actions in the Jordan Valley and local community resistance.
Twinning:
Connecting local organisations and supporting the twinning of Al Quds Open University in Tubas with University of Sussex Students Union.
Challenging the occupation:
Solidarity with projects of resistance that challenge Israel’s right to control Palestinian communities and assert Palestinian rights to self determination.
E.g. Fundraising and campaigning for the building Fasayil School, running water pipes to Bedouin communities.
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions:
Supporting the Palestinian Civil Society Call by collecting and sharing information about settlements in the Jordan Valley, and supporting campaigns in the UK.
Why have we chosen the Jordan Valley?
When Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza in 1967 it produced the Allon Plan as the blueprint of intended annexation of Gaza, Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley.
Without delay it unilaterally annexed 70.5 km2 of land around Jerusalem and subsequently integrated it into “Jerusalem municipality”. In the intervening 40 plus years, Israel has surrounded Jerusalem with huge settlements, in direct contravention of international law, and the building is still continuing today. It will eventually cover a vast area stretching right to Jericho in the Jordan Valley. To make way for the settlements around Jerusalem, the Palestinians have been (and are still being) wiped off their land.
During the same period Israel has taken control of 95% of the land and 98% of the water resources in the Jordan Valley. It has not yet ‘officially’ annexed the Jordan Valley but the intention to do is still clear.
Illegal Israeli settlements in the Jordan Valley are continuing to take more and more Palestinian land, supported by the Israeli Military Civil Administration.
At the same time there is a growing Palestinian movement to challenge Israel through direct action, and developing local infrastructure. This is inspiring a network of international organisations to work in solidarity with them. We are just one small part of that network.
