Dear Friends of Tent of Nations—
I have just learned from Tent of Nation’s Facebook page that the re-registration hearing scheduled for earlier today has again been postponed and rescheduled for January 16, 2023. Below is the update from Atty. Sani Khoury who represents TON.
It should be noted that the former TON Facebook page has been discontinued and the new one is located at https://m.facebook.com/Tent-
Please keep the Nassar family and Tent of Nations in your hearts, minds, and prayers and support them in every way you can. And pass this message on to all you know who might be interested and supportive.
Always with Faith, Love, Hope, Sumud—
Virginia (Wadsley)
Virginia Wadsley is coordinator of the TON (Tent of Nations) of Hope Children’s Book Team based in Des Moines and has been working with Daoud Nassar for nearly three years to produce a book—From the Ground and UP— of/by/for the children of Palestine. Content of the book—art and writings—will come from children involved with TON activities which have been delayed due to COVID and the situation on the ground there. It is designed to empower the children as they deal with the traumas of their situation and find ways to stand up and be strong as they explore their inner resources and the strength of working together. It is now expected to be published in 2023.
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Statement 21 November
Re: Tent of Nations – Hearing Update 21.11.2022
From Mr. Sani Khoury, Attorney at Law
Today a session was held for the hearing of evidence in the case of the registration of the land of the Nassar Family before the Military Committee for the Registration of Lands.
One hundred years ago the Nassar Family bought 400 dunams of land and built its house on the location were the Tent of Nations exists today. The family possesses the original purchase documents, maps and their ownership of the land was registered during the time of British Mandate in the early 1920's and they have all been submitted to the Committee for the Registration of Lands.
The session today was set for the hearing of evidence and it was supposed to be the final session since the Committee declared that all evidence should have been submitted all any witnesses would get their chance to testify today. Different consular delegations requested to attend the meeting in order to demonstrate support from the Nassar family and to try and witness the process of the registration of his land.
In spite of my approach to the head of the Committee requesting permission for the delegations to attend, the head of Committee informed me that the session was secret and had to be held behind closed doors according to the law. Thus, my request to allow the delegations to attend was rejected. It seems the Committee is not interested in any third party observing the proceedings but wants to keep the entire process secret. Of course, there can be no logical explanation for secrecy in such technical proceedings such as the registration of land!
In 1991 the Israeli Authorities and within the context of trying to expand the settlement of Neve Daniel declared the great majority of 400 dunams of the Nassar family land as "State Land". They only left the Nassar family home and the adjacent gardens out of this declaration.
The declaration of land as "State Land" is the major legal mechanism by which land is taken from the Palestinians and given to the settlements. Since then the Nassar family has been trying to re-register their land according to the new system in order to protect it (including approaching the Supreme Court numerous times - the Supreme Court sent the family to re-register the land according to the new system).
The session today was supposed to hear objections to the registration mainly from the Custodian of Absentee Properties who is in charge of “State Land” and minor objections from neighbors whom objected to very minor issues (certain rights of passage).
Unfortunately the Custodian of Absentee Properties did not bother to attend the session and in spite of the request to dismiss his objection the Committee postponed the session until 16.1.2023 and requested that notification regarding the proceedings be sent to the head of the Custodian of Absentee Properties.
Thus it is clear that the Committee is not interested in following proper procedure and dismissing the objection but in fact it is interested in delaying the proceedings again and again. Unfortunately it is clear that in spite of the fact that the Nassar family filed for the re-registration of its land according to the new system the authorities are continuing to drag their feet regarding this process without any explanation. Technically and until the land is re-registered the previous declaration of this private family land as "State Land" still stands – something that seems to be the reason why the authorities are dragging their feet. This prevents final protection for the land and prevents the Nassar family from being able to freely cultivate their land.
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