- January 2008
An attempt to seize the Palestinian land of Alyasa’ Sha’ban in Wadi Hilweh.
A bulldozer working for the Elad settlement organization crashed through the entrance gate of Sha’ban’s land. The bulldozer was confronted by a group of Palestinian residents who managed to kick Elad’s workers out. After a few days Elad’s workers came back at night and uprooted the olive tree’s in the land of Alyasa’ Sha’ban. The case is still at court.
Children from silwan planting on the land of Alyasa’ Sha’ban.
- January 2008
The first signs of structural degradations were noticed in early 2008 on the main street of Wadi Hilweh.
Only after these collapses began did the Palestinian residents of Silwan discover that Israelis were digging a network of tunnels under their homes and streets.
First street collapse – Wadi Hilweh, Silwan
- February 2008
The Wadi Hilweh protest tent set up.
The protest tent was set up on the second of February 2008 to protest against settlements and Israeli excavations. The tent was named, Rabat tent.
Rabat tent organizes sit-ins to protest against excavations
Sit- in in the Rabat tent to protest against the confiscation of land and against the policy of house demolitions.
-February 2009
Al-Bustan tent setup.
On the 9th of February 2009 the Bustan tent was established to protest against the 88 house demolitions orders in Al-Bustan neigborhood.
Friday prayers in Al-Bustan tent, on the anniversary of the tent establishment.
A demonstration in Silwan against the policy of demolition.
- July 2009
The opening of the Wadi Hilweh Information Center – Silwan
On the 19th of July 2009 the local residents of Wadi Hilweh neighborhood of Silwan opened the first and only Palestinian information center in east Jerusalem. The Center was established to tell the real story by the local Palestinian residents of the village.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center – Silwan
- September 2009
A terrorist settler shot a member of Wadi Hilweh local committee, Ahmad Qaraeen
On the 11th of September, Ahmad Qaraeen, a member of Wadi Hilweh committee and a father of two childern, was shot on his leg twice by a terrorist settler. The incident happened in front of the entrance of the “City of David” tourist site and settlement.
The criminal settler was released after one week. A few days later four young Palestinian men were arrested by the Israeli police. They were arrested for more than 50 days in jail under the pretext of attacking another settler as a response for shooting Qaraeen.
Then the four detainees spent more than 5 months in house arrest. One of them, Mahmoud Bana is still under house arrest. The two brothers Murad and Naim Bana, are now under conditional house arrest. They can go out to work and have to come back to their house. The fourth, Omar Siyam, was released to house arrest and two weeks ago he was arrested and sent to jail again.
But the settler who shot Ahmad Qaraeen, a Palestinian resident and a committee member, was released few days after committing his crime. And the Israeli police closed the shooting case of Ahmad Qaraeen.
Mahmud Bana
Naim Bana
- April 2010
A provocative settlers’ demonstration in Wadi Hilweh street, Silwan.
On mid-March 2010 Israeli right-wing activists, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Baruch Marzel, received approval from the Israeli police to march in the neighborhood of Wadi Hilweh in Silwan. The march was intended to help consolidating the settlement in Silwan. On the twenty-fifth of April 2010, a few dozens of settlers, joined the rightists in their march in Silwan. Trying to provoke the Palestinian residents carrying Israeli flags and shouting. However, the Palestinian local residents drowned out the shouts of the settlers by chanting chants of their own, and by banging noisily upon pots, pans, gates and fences.
The Palestinian flag has been raised above the street. The residents formed a counter-demonstration following a settler march. Participants in the residents’ demonstration far outnumbered those who had turned out for the settlers’ march. Chanting, singing and samba drumming created a loud and positive atmosphere, despite the heavy police presence.
