Fundraising for Essential Food Baskets for 37 Families

UPDATE - September 18, 2025

Hi, my name is Syvanne. I am a Canadian Jewish-Israeli currently living in Toronto. This past summer, I spent time in the community of Umm Al-Khair in Massafer Yatta, located in Area C of the West Bank—an area under full Israeli military control.

I organized this fundraiser with Awdah Hathaleen, an Umm-al Kheir leader and advocate for nonviolent resistance to the Israeli occupation, as well as a consultant on the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land". On July 28, 2025, Awdah was shot and killed by infamous settler Yinon Levy in Umm al-Khair.

In the weeks before his murder, Awdah had been messaging me and many others almost daily, sending videos of settler violence and trying to raise the alarm about the escalating situation.

Awdah was a brave, kind, and deeply inspiring person. His death is heartbreaking; a huge loss not only for his community, but for everyone who believes in a peaceful future for Israel-Palestine. He was killed by a system that prioritizes expansion and domination over Palestinian safety. Awdah leaves behind his wife and three young children.

The Crisis Has Only Deepened

The situation in Umm Al-Khair has deteriorated dramatically since Awdah's murder. Israeli authorities initially refused to release Awdah's body for burial, withholding it for 10 days and demanding the family agree not to bury him within the village. During this period, the women of Umm Al-Khair went on hunger strike to demand his return, while the army conducted nightly raids detaining the village's men, who did nothing wrong.

In a devastating blow to the community's hopes for justice, a court refused to extend house arrest for Yinon Levy, the settler who killed Awdah. Meanwhile, for months, Israeli settlers have attacked the village on an almost daily basis.

The community now faces a perfect storm: ongoing settler violence, systematic home demolitions, economic strangulation through work permit suspensions, and the trauma of losing their beloved leader Awdah. Every day brings new threats to their very existence as a community.

Awdah's brother reached out to me in August, asking that I continue this campaign, as food insecurity in Umm al Kheir continues to be a devastating crisis.

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Original Campaign (March 2025)

The photos on this page are from my time in the village in July 2024.

Since October 7, Umm Al-Khair has faced escalating, coordinated attacks from settlers and the Israeli military. Over the past two summers alone, the Israeli civil authority and settlers have destroyed essential water infrastructure and 17 homes. During my visit, villagers shared how crucial it is to see each other as human beings, as neighbors, as cousins. Their words stayed with me as I witnessed the reality they face daily.

A few days later, I joined a protective presence shift with "Rabbis for Human Rights"—an effort where Israelis and internationals stay in Palestinian villages across the West Bank and East Jerusalem to help deter violence by documenting attacks from settlers and the Israeli military.

The Community's Struggle

Before October 7, the people of Umm Al-Khair made their living through work permits in Israel and by stewarding their land. However, following the attacks, Israel suspended work permits for all West Bank and Gazan Palestinians, leaving the community in dire financial straits.

Community members explained how the combination of financial insecurity and ongoing settler and military violence has put them in an unbearable position—they cannot provide for their families while living in constant fear for their safety. They can no longer shepherd as they once did, as settlers from the nearby Carmel Settlement consistently attack their sheep and threaten them.

One community member shared:

”My brother was working in our field a week ago. A settler came and attacked him, claiming the land was too close to the nearby settlement. Since then, we've been too afraid to tend to our field."

Since our conversation in July, we have remained friends and stayed in touch.

In the weeks since the Gaza ceasefire, violence against Umm Al-Khair has only intensified. The minimal land cultivation residents have managed to maintain has become even more dangerous.

How Your Donation Helps

The community urgently needs essential supplies like baby formula and food baskets. If we reach our goal, the funds will provide food for 37 families for over a month.

Please consider donating whatever amount makes sense for you. Your support will provide immediate necessities and contribute to building hope for a safer future for the people of Umm Al-Khair.

I will be transferring the funds to the Centre for Jewish Non-Violence, who will purchase and distribute the supplies the community needs.