The petition is related to a claim presented by the villagers in 1993, when they learned that the village had been included within the boundaries of the Municipality of Jerusalem, even though it is in the West Bank. Despite this claim, no measures have been adopted by the defendants to solve the problems of the residents. On the contrary, the situation of the village and its 220 inhabitants has progressively deteriorated since the construction of the Annexation Wall and the establishment, in May 2006, of a checkpoint as the only access point to the village. Since then, access has been granted only to residents of al-Nu'man, while others, including foreigners, aid workers, and both West Bank and Jerusalem ID holders, are excluded.

At the last hearing, held on 13 May 2007, the Court gave the respondents the possibility of presenting the petitioners with a new set of conditions to improve the situation of the residents of al-Nu'man. In particular, the Court asked the respondents to focus on the two main issues of the case, namely the possibility of re-routing the Wall in the area and providing the villagers with a clear residency status – either as permanent residents of Jerusalem or as permanent residents of the West Bank, but with adequate access to services. The resulting measures undertaken by the respondents in October 2007, however, did not portend a meaningful improvement of the human rights conditions of the residents of al-Nu'man, who therefore rejected these measures as an adequate solution. Now, as per the decision of 13 May 2007, the Court will re-hear the case on Wednesday 9 July 2008 and issue a decision based on the merits.

It is vital that this hearing be used as an opportunity to monitor the proceedings as well as to demonstrate that the case of al-Numan village will not go unnoticed. Accordingly, we strongly encourage you to attend the hearing, either in your individual capacity or as a representative of your organisation. In this regard, no specific documents are required to attend the hearing, other than an official form of ID (such as a passport). Also, although the proceedings will be in Hebrew, it will be possible to provide translation in the courtroom itself on an informal basis. A detailed analysis of the issues relating to al-Nu’man village and related documents can be accessed at: http://www.alhaq.org/etemplate.php?id=336

 Please do not hesitate to contact [email protected] if you have any questions, comments or require further information pertaining to the case.

 The address of the High Court of Justice is:

 Sha‘arei Mishpat, Number 1

 Kiryat Hamemshala

 Jerusalem

 We look forward to seeing you at the hearing.

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