On Wednesday, October 21, Ezra Nawi, a Palestinian solidarity activist will receive his sentence at the Shalom Court in Jerusalem. Ezra's trial stems from an event two years ago, in which he was trying to stop the demolition of a Palestinian home by the Israeli occupation forces. Although a video capturing the event shows clearly Ezra's nonviolent actions, he was found guilty of assaulting a police officer. In the movie Ezra can be heard saying: "Yes, I was also a soldier, but I did not demolish houses... The only thing that will be left here is hatred..."

Ezra Nawi has been active for years in the area known as South Mt. Hebron. The Palestinians in this small desolate area in the very south of the West Bank have been under Israeli occupation for almost 42 years; they still live without electricity, running water and other basic services, and are continuously harassed by the Jewish settlers who constantly violate both Israeli and International law, and are backed by a variety of Israeli military occupation forces, all of which operate in an effort to cleanse the area from its Palestinian inhabitants and create a new demographic reality in it.

In personal letter on Support Ezra, he writes:"I have been harassed and targeted throughout the years, because I embody three elements which provoke bigotry in the Israeli society: I am a homosexual, I am a Mizrahi Jew, and I devote all my time to fighting for the human rights of Arab Palestinians....I am a simple person. I did what my heart told me to do...I feel that now the Israeli authorities are punishing me on a personal level. I would like to believe that my personal adversity will inspire and motivate individuals to actively oppose the occupation. Read more

Ezra Nawi: The Face of Israeli Human Rights Activism | Breaking the Silence tour to South Hebron | Strangers at Home-Breaking the Silence tour to Hebron