On Valentine’s Day, 2024, Fakhri Abu Diab, elected community leader of Silwan’s Bustan in East Jerusalem, had his home violently stormed by gun-waving Israeli paramilitary police escorting a bulldozer. Within hours, his home was bulldozed and his family left homeless. Fakhri later said they could have even been killed were it not for the considerable media presence. Jahalin Solidarity is now fundraising to pull our co-founder Fakhri and his family out of homelessness.

Ready to support Fakhri? Make your US tax-deductible donation here:

US & others: https://secure.nif.org/86OYO-rBsUCO_mAeztMCiQ2

UK, Europe via Charities Aid (Credit card or PayPal): https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/16575

Or by bank transfer by paying British Shalom Sala’am Trust directly, not via CAF:

Account:                                BSST

IBAN:                                      GB59HBUK40041511576585

SWIFT/BIC Code:                  HBUKGB4141F

If you make a donation by bank transfer, please email bsst@bsst.org.uk to tell them who the donation is from and that it’s for Jahalin Solidarity. All details (including information for domestic UK transfers) is available on their www.BSST.org.uk website.

This demolition was part of the Jerusalem Municipality’s shocking plan to displace Bustan’s Palestinian community with a biblical theme park, extending the militant City of David settlement that’s invading the Holy Basin area, near Al Aqsa. The demolition of Fakhri’s home received international condemnation from the US State Department, the EU, and 21 EU member states. Jahalin Solidarity co-ordinated major media coverage of the demolition by Reuters, Al Jazeera, TRT World, Haaretz, Middle East Eye, The National, Arab News, Times of Israel, Mondoweiss, and Jerusalem Post, among others.

We at Jahalin Solidarity know Abu Diab’s home demolition was purely political. Fakhri is internationally recognised for speaking out about, and protecting Palestinians from, systemic discrimination caused by the Israeli occupation. He’s hosted numerous diplomats and public figures – including President Jimmy Carter - to garner international support against the demolition and displacement of Palestinian homes. For his advocacy for peace, against Israel’s cruel occupation policies, the Jerusalem Municipality has responded with targeted persecution of Fakhri, a point confirmed to him by the Israeli police.

Watching the Israeli bulldozers, Fakhri said: “I teach the young not to hate, but when a child’s house is destroyed, what can I say to him? What words can be used to convince him not to hate?”.

Watch his full response here.

Fakhri remains defiant in his desire to continue his community work, but he needs help to relocate and rebuild to continue serving as a community champion. We’re raising emergency funds to build a small new home elsewhere, without risk of re-demolition, and to preserve the pre-1967 part of his Bustan home.

While assisting Fakhri, we’ll continue advocating against the demolition and forced displacement of the remaining 1540 Bustan residents, now feeling so much more vulnerable without Fakhri who is unable to lead their campaign without his home.

A donation to him is a donation to the Silwan community. We thank you for your support on his behalf and the entire East Jerusalem Palestinian community. For those celebrating Ramadan, we hope you can support Fakhri in rebuilding his life and so that the Silwan community isn’t abandoned.

How you can help:

New Israel Fund has a dedicated fundraising link for US tax-deductible donations via Torat Zedek NGO, for US residents, or others, via credit cards:

https://secure.nif.org/86OYO-rBsUCO_mAeztMCiQ2

There’s also an option for UK donations, including via PayPal, to Charities Aid Foundation (including an optional 25% gift tax addition), with support by British Shalom Sala’am Trust, at a link dedicated to Jahalin Solidarity:

https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/16575

Or, bank transfer can be made directly to our friends at British Shalom Sala’am Trust**:

Account:                    BSST

IBAN:                          GB59HBUK40041511576585

SWIFT/BIC Code:      HBUKGB4141F

**’If you make a donation by bank transfer, please email bsst@bsst.org.uk to tell them who the donation is from and that it’s for Jahalin Solidarity.  All relevant details (including information for domestic UK transfers) are available on their www.BSST.org.uk website.

From the Jahalin Solidarity team, we give you our deepest thanks.