In another example of the deteriorating conditions under occupation, Friends and comrades who have worked with agricultural workers in and around Sheffield ahave had their offices raided and we are very concerned about their treatment.
Here is a resume if what happened, more information and a model letter to write to Yvette Cooper, the Foreign Secretary.
On Monday December 1st in Ramallah and Hebron Israeli forces raided the offices of our Palestinian friends, members of La Via Campesina, whose work is supporting farmers in the West Bank.
The raid included the confiscation of all office contents, including computers, hard drives, administrative files, financial documents, and logistical equipment. Soldiers also deliberately destroyed office furniture, smashed doors, and damaged equipment as part of a systematic attempt to cripple the organizationβs operations and silence its work with Palestinian farming communities. Israeli authorities have declared the organisation illegal. An Israeli news report showed the event as a smooth and successful operation to detain terrorists.
The Land Workers Alliance in the UK have solidarity links with this organisation and through their good auspices a few small farms here have developed links with small farms in the West Bank. We hear how settlers, supported by the IDF are stealing Palestinian farm land, violently attacking farmers and uprooting or burning olive trees. The attack on these offices and detaining staff is an escalation and clear demonstration of Israelβs blatant, intentional and violent attack on Palestinians right to land, farm and food.
Further information here
Use this model letter – or copy the text below – to write to the foreign office and cc your MP. You can find your MP’s email address here.
Model letter
Model letter requesting immediate release of members of La Via Campesina in Palestine:
I am / we are writing to urgently request your immediate intervention regarding the arrest today of members of La Via Campesina in Palestine and allied agricultural workers, whose offices were also raided and ransacked. These individuals were detained while carrying out legitimate work in support of small-scale farmers and land-based communitiesβwork that is widely recognised as essential to food sovereignty, heritage seed saving, ecological stewardship, and the protection of rural livelihoods.
The detention of these workers raises serious concerns under international human rights standards. La Via Campesina is a globally respected movement representing millions of peasants, agricultural workers, and Indigenous communities in over 80 countries. Targeting its members – under false pretext and trumped up charges – and destroying their organisational infrastructure undermines not only their safety but the broader principles of democratic participation and civil society protection. The organization being targeted is one of great international standing, supported by reputed foundations and progressive governments over many years for their work with farming communities, facilitating agroecological exchanges and for providing vital humanitarian aid.
I/We urge the Ministry to:
1. Call for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained members of La Via Campesina in Palestine and allied agricultural workers;
2. Seek assurances that they will not be subject to ill-treatment, coercion, or further intimidation;
3. Request an independent investigation into the raid on their offices and the confiscation or destruction of materials; and
4. Communicate clearly, through diplomatic channels, that repression of lawful civil society organisations is unacceptable.
Swift action is critical to prevent further harm and to uphold the basic rights of those working to support agricultural communities. I/We respectfully ask that you treat this matter with the urgency it requires.
