Accompanying defense of territory in the Middle East

Protection of land, water, and territory is at the heart of the Palestinian struggle for self-determination. As a settler colonial state, the Israeli government’s policies and practices are oriented toward extending Israeli control over as much territory as possible, while dispossessing its Palestinian inhabitants. As a result, Palestinians are expelled from their homeland or contained within disconnected and ever-shrinking fragments of it.

While all of Grassroots International’s Palestinian partners are involved in the protection of land, water, and territory, this struggle is particularly urgent in Area C of the occupied West Bank. In this area, which encompasses 60% of the West Bank and the vast majority of Palestinian agricultural land, Palestinian communities are at imminent risk of forced displacement. Illegal Israeli settlements directly control about two thirds of Area C, and Israel continues to aggressively expand settlements there. Palestinian development in Area C is strictly controlled by Israel, making it nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain permits to develop their communities or maintain essential infrastructure.

Grassroots International partners with groups in Area C on efforts such as:

• Campaigns and organizing among Palestinian farming and herding communities, who are frequently attacked by the Israeli military and soldiers
• A project to build the organizing capacity of women and youth collectives to promote sustainable livelihoods, food sovereignty, and solidarity economies in Area C
• Projects focused on water management and water reclamation