Campus Drive Overpass @ N Prospect & University Av, 3:30-5 pm
Madison will respond to the world-wide call to mark the anniversary of the killing of West Bank Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen with a banner drop on the Campus Drive overpass, N. Prospect & University Ave., Monday August 3 from 3:30 to 5 pm.
Between July 28 and August 8, people in more than 20 cities across North America, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East are gathering to commemorate the first anniversary of the killing of this teacher, activist, and community leader, and call for an end to violence against Palestinian communities.
From San Antonio to Melbourne, and cities across Europe and Israel, people will participate in vigils, mourning tents, educational programs, and community gatherings honoring Hathaleen’s life and renewing calls for justice for his village of Umm al-Khair in Masafer Yatta (South Hebron Hills) and Palestinian communities across the occupied West Bank.
Following an ask from his family, memorial events are calling for an end to the demolitions, a right to education for the children of Umm al Khair, and justice for Awdah.
“We in Umm al-Khair and the family of Awdah Hathaleen the martyr have been living the pain and sorrow of the loss of our beloved leader, activist, teacher and father who was murdered by the settler Yinon Levi. During the annual memorial we ask the international community and any person who is free and has a conscience: Justice for Awdah, the right to education for the children in our village and lastly to put a stop to demolitions in our village.” – Khalil Hathaleen, Awdah’s older brother and village leader in Umm al-Khair.
Hathaleen, a 31-year-old father of three young children, was shot and killed on July 28, 2025 while filming an Israeli excavator destroying trees in his village. His death drew widespread international condemnation amid escalating violence against Palestinian communities in the Occupied Territories.
Born into a Bedouin family originally displaced from Beersheba in 1948, Hathaleen devoted his life to education and community advocacy. After earning a degree in English from Hebron University, he returned to teach at the secondary school he had once attended. He became an internationally recognized spokesperson for his village, regularly hosting diplomats, journalists and human rights delegations seeking to understand conditions in the region.
Hathaleen played an important role in the Academy Award-winning documentary “No Other Land,” serving as a consultant during its production. The film documents the experiences of Palestinian residents facing displacement in Masafer Yatta. He also wrote for +972 Magazine, using storytelling and documentation to bring international attention to the lives of many West Bank Palestinian communities like Umm al-Khair, which continues to be targeted by settlers and the Israeli state with further demolitions, the cutting off of sources of water and electricity, and the placement of settler caravans inside the village.
Since Hathaleen’s killing, residents and activists have documented over 350 incidents of settler attacks, military harassment, home demolitions, and restrictions on access to essential resources, including water and freedom of movement. In the past year, the settlers from the neighboring settlement of Carmel have constructed 12 new caravan homes directly inside the village of Umm al-Khair.
Organizers describe the global day of remembrance as both an act of mourning and a declaration that Hathaleen’s work continues through the people he inspired around the world.
For questions or updates on the banner drop, text or email Cassandra at chrepairs@gmail.com or 608-445-0357.
LEARN MORE
- Link to Al Haq’s Investigative report The Killing of Awdah Hathaleen: Beyond A Settler Crime, including video reconstructions.
- Recorded livestream of the full community memorial in Umm Al Khair, including Israeli soldiers attempting to prevent it.
- Shorter video excerpt of the memorial.
Hello everyone,
You are invited to this local event honoring Awdah Hathaleen on the first anniversary of his murder by an Israeli settler in the village of Umm al-Khair in the West Bank. Memorials for Awdah are taking place around the world amid the recent devastating attacks on West Bank Palestinians that represent a drastic escalation in ethnic cleansing there. Banners and some Palestinian flags provided, or bring your own. (Facebook event)
PS — Please also sign this petition from Rebuilding Alliance to Congress asking them to take action to protect civilians and stop settler violence in the West Bank.
Barb O.