Community Mourning Tent and Memorial Program to Honor Palestinian Peace Activist Awdah Hat

The Bay Area community is invited to join a Mourning Tent and Memorial Service for slain Palestinian peace activist Awdah Hathaleen on Tuesday, July 28, the first anniversary of his killing, at Kehilla Community Synagogue, 1300 Grand Avenue, Piedmont and on Zoom.

The evening will begin with an opportunity to visit a Mourning Tent from 6 to 7pm, followed by a community program from 7 to 8:30pm.

Hathaleen, a Palestinian teacher, community leader and activist from Umm al-Khair in Masafer Yatta (South Hebron Hills), in the occupied West Bank, was fatally shot on July 28, 2025 as he filmed an excavator destroying trees in his village. The footage taken from his camera shows an Israeli settler firing the shots that killed him.

Hathaleen was widely known for documenting life under occupation and advocating peacefully against settler violence. Hathaleen served as a consultant on the Academy Award-winning documentary No Other Land, which chronicles the struggles of Palestinian communities in Masafer Yatta. He also volunteered with the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem and contributed to +972 Magazine.

This gathering is part of a worldwide movement honoring Hathaleen's life and carrying forward his commitment to justice, human dignity and peace. Participants will have an opportunity to mourn his loss, learn about his work, and reflect on the importance of building solidarity together. We stand with Umm al-Khair to demand a right to education for all children, an end to the demolitions that destroy Palestinian communities, and justice for Awdah Hathaleen.

The Bay Area gathering has special local significance. Just one month before his death, Hathaleen and his cousin, Eid Suleiman Hathaleen, had been scheduled to participate in an interfaith speaking tour across the United States, including several appearances in the Bay Area. After arriving at San Francisco International Airport, however, they were denied entry and deported by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, preventing them from sharing their experiences directly with local audiences.

The event is free and open to the public and is organized by friends of Awdah Hathaleen and Umm al-Khair. Please RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/awdah-bayarea