Youth of Sumud
Youth of Sumud was formed in 2017 in the South Hebron Hills in response to ongoing settler and military aggression and violence against farmers, families and schoolchildren in the area. Members of Youth of Sumud have committed themselves to the revival of the village of Sarura, located in the southern end of the West Bank near the village of At-Tuwani. In the 1990s, the Palestinian inhabitants of the village escaped following escalating settler attacks from the nearby illegal Israeli outpost of Havat Ma'On, and the ancient cave homes were subsequently damaged or demolished. Starting in 2017, Youth of Sumud has rebuilt the caves, and has since established a permanent presence in Sarura.
Masafer YattaMasafer Yatta, an area in the southern West Bank, is currently being targeted by the settler movement. Some 215 Palestinian households and over thousand people, including nearly 600 children are facing displacement by the Israeli state.
On June 17, 2021, settlers from the illegal outpost of Havat Ma'on attacked Sarura and completely destroyed the central cave home, demolishing the kitchen, bathroom, water supply and large tiled main space in a night invasion of the village. Youth of Sumud is working to rebuild the space again, in hopes that the original Palestinian land owners, or their families, will eventually feel safe in returning.
In addition to our work in Sarura, Youth of Sumud has assumed responsibility for the safety of schoolchildren from the nearby village of Tuba as they walk to and from their school in Atuwani. The children’s route has been disrupted and made increasingly dangerous over decades due to the construction of the Israeli outpost Havat Ma’on. We are committed to supporting not only these children, but all Palestinian children, in attaining their right to education.
Furthermore, Youth of Sumud also accompanies shepherds in the area, who often face harassment and violence from Israeli settlers and the military alike while grazing their flocks. Throughout the fall Youth of Sumud accompanies farmers as they harvest their olives in the Jordan Valley and throughout the West Bank. Each year settlers disrupt the olive harvest, damaging trees and harassing and attacking land owners.
Youth of Sumud is committed to nonviolent resistance of the occupation. We demonstrate our dedication to this and to our principles by supporting our neighbors, children, and farmers in their struggles to remain on our land.
