Rabbi Arik Ascherman of Rabbis for Human Rights reports on witnessing  the army uproot olive trees in Beit Jala,  calling for supporters to demonstrate with the farmers and help plant new trees,  and then moving on to Jerusalem to demonstrate against Ezra Nawi’s conviction order and to be present at court proceedings for the appeal of that conviction:  I am returning now from Beit Jala, where yesterday the army started cutting down/uprooting olive trees on both sides of the tunnel road, apparently for the extention of the Separation Barrier.  It is hard to describe the stumps of ancient trees screaming to the heavens, or what is happening to the garden of one family, that will have the Barrier come within a meter of their house. The army eventually declared the area a closed military area … Read entire article »