Beit Sahour and West Bank Occupation

The Rev'd David Hardman, Methodist Liaison Officer, Jerusalem shares this blog on the impact of the Israeli settlement at Beit Sahour in the West Bank.

As I travel from the Methodist Liaison Office in Jerusalem to the Palestinian town of Beit Sahour in the occupied West Bank, cranes dominate the skyline. Along Hebron Road, almost every view is marked by Israeli development. Residential buildings rise from seemingly every available space, symbols of a city, and a population, continuing to expand upwards and outwards.

Turning left off Hebron Road, the illegal Israeli settlement (1) of Har Homa comes into view. The word "settlement" hardly captures the scale of what stands before me. Har Homa is not a small collection of homes but a substantial urban community of over 26,000 Israelis, towering above the surrounding landscape. Its apartment blocks and public buildings rise prominently on the hilltop, a permanent reminder of the changed realities of the land.

As the road continues south, I pass through the Israeli Mazmoria checkpoint. Beyond it, yellow signs warn that turning left or right will lead into Area A (2), where entry is prohibited for Israeli citizens under Israeli law. At some junctions, older red signs remain in place, declaring that entry into these areas is dangerous and could put Israeli lives at risk. These yellow and red warnings are from the Israeli government to its citizens, erected on Palestinian land.

Along this West Bank road, Israeli flags appear in growing numbers, along with the warning signs a constant reminder to Palestinians of power and control within their own homeland.

Eventually, I turn right, passing another of the red warning signs and more Israeli flags. Despite the Israeli governmental health warning of danger to life for Israelis who enter this area, I notice ahead of me a poster advertising a new Israeli outpost. In Hebrew it reads “Welcome to Avia”. The contradiction is striking. The warning sign cautions Israelis against entering, while the banner openly invites them in. The warning is ignored; the welcome proclaimed.

The Arabic name for this part of Beit Sahour is Ush al-Ghurab. Later, Israel renamed the site with the Hebrew name: Shdema. In January 2026, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, celebrating the Israeli government's legalisation of the settlement (3), referred to it instead as Yatziv, a Hebrew word meaning "stable" or "steadfast". Addressing settlers, he declared: "We are standing stable here in Israel... we're going to be here forever."

In Arabic, the word sumud is often translated as "steadfastness". It describes the determination of Palestinians to remain rooted in their land, preserve their culture, and endure despite decades of occupation and displacement. The Hebrew word yatziv also conveys stability and permanence, but here it is used to express the permanence of a settlement project. The same idea of steadfastness yet profoundly different realities and aspirations.

Today, the settlement is commonly known as “Avia”. Settlements often change names as they evolve and expand. The pattern has become familiar across the West Bank. Land that begins with an Arabic name and Palestinian ownership is gradually transformed. A handful of caravans or temporary structures appear, a new Hebrew name is adopted, and over time what was presented as temporary becomes permanent: loss of Palestinian land.

Beit Sahour is a predominantly Christian town adjoining Bethlehem. Christian tradition remembers it as the place where shepherds heard the angelic proclamation of Christ's birth. Yet today, the landscape tells another story. Here in Area A, within sight of churches and communities that have worshipped in this place for centuries, a new Israeli settlement is expanding.

I find myself wondering what it feels like to be a Palestinian living in Beit Sahour. One resident told me:

“They have taken the land where we planned a hospital and children’s play area. Already there is friction with the settlers, it has made taking children to school unpredictable, we fear leaving the house. Our life is difficult enough with checkpoints and permit restrictions now our land is being taken. We have seen the violence of Israeli settlers in other Palestinian communities and now we see the settlers living in our community. You cannot imagine the stress we live under.”

The contrast is striking. On one side are communities that have lived on and cared for this land for generations, seeking simply to remain, flourish and build a future for their children. On the other, settlement expansion continues to reshape the landscape around them.

For Palestinians, the fear is not abstract. It is the fear of further land loss, of growing insecurity, of violence and ultimately of having no future in the place their families have called home for generations.

These concerns touch every aspect of daily life: the ability to live on one's land, provide for one's family, strengthen one's community and preserve one's identity. At their heart lies a simple but profound question: whether Palestinians will be able to remain on the land they call home.

Actions
Write to the Foreign Secretary, The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, urging the UK government to uphold international law and demand accountability regarding settlement expansion in the West Bank.
Fcdo.correspondence@fcdo.gov.uk

Resources
Just Peace Coalition Briefing
The Just Peace Coalition
Christians Need to Wake Up Video (YouTube)