Press Release: Colorado Nonprofit Urges Congressional Investigation into Escalating Violence in Beit Ummar, West Bank

Colorado Nonprofit Urges Congressional Investigation into Escalating Violence in Beit Ummar, West Bank

CFJ–Colorado cites threats to community projects, new roadblocks isolating the town, and a surge in settler and military violence

Colorado, USA — December 20, 2025 — The Center for Freedom and Justice – Colorado (CFJ–Colorado), a nonprofit founded in 2017, is calling attention to intensified attacks on Beit Ummar, a town of approximately 22,000 residents located between Bethlehem and Hebron in the West Bank. The organization has written to all members of Colorado’s congressional delegation, requesting a formal investigation under the Foreign Assistance Act and the Leahy Act (Leahy Laws).

CFJ–Colorado has supported non-violent, community-based development in Beit Ummar for years and funded initiatives ranging from children’s backpacks and summer school to a local women’s cooperative and the construction of the town’s first kindergarten.

“Our projects are now in danger due to the military and settler attacks,” said Joseph Drexler, President of CFJ–Colorado. “We urge Colorado’s congressional delegation to act swiftly and investigate whether U.S. funds have contributed, directly or indirectly, to violence and abuse in Beit Ummar.”

Key facts in the last two months cited by CFJ–Colorado:

• Two Beit Ummar teenage boys killed by settlers from Karmei Tzur, an illegal settlement established on Beit Ummar land in 1982.
• A sharp rise in land seizures, home demolitions, and resident arrests.
• Four new military roadblocks (now totaling eight) preventing vehicular entry and exit, and further isolating the town from the rest of the West Bank.
• Collapse of Beit Ummar’s economy as crops rot in the fields without market access.
• Mobile homes appear on seized land north of the city, signaling moves toward a new settlement in addition to six surrounding illegal settlements—Kfar Etzion, Migdal Oz, Alon Shvut, Bat Ayin, Efrat, and Karmei Tzur—that complete the town’s encirclement. 
• CFJ–Colorado notes that many of the settlers involved are American citizens.
• CFJ–Colorado references international reporting, including Le Monde’s characterization of a “reign of terror” in the West Bank: https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2025/12/10/israel-imposes-reign-of-terror-on-the-west-bank_6748359_4.html

CFJ–Colorado states that these developments parallel patterns seen across the West Bank and are part of Israel’s policy of ethnic cleansing and annexation. Its assessment reflects on-the-ground reports from partners and residents in Beit Ummar, and calls for congressional oversight to determine if the U.S. is complicit through its aid or assistance to Israel.

CFJ–Colorado maintains regular contact with its partner organization in Beit Ummar and can facilitate interviews—by phone or video conference—between residents and members of Colorado’s congressional delegation or the media. A copy of CFJ–Colorado’s letter to the delegation is available upon request.

Call to action

CFJ–Colorado urges Colorado’s congressional offices to open a formal inquiry under the Foreign Assistance Act and the Leahy Act, engage directly with affected residents of Beit Ummar, and ensure U.S. assistance complies with human rights obligations.

Media contact

• Name: Joseph Drexler, President, Center for Freedom and Justice – Colorado
• Phone: +1 720-320-8737
• Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/CFJColorado

About the Center for Freedom and Justice – Colorado

Founded in 2017, the Center for Freedom and Justice – Colorado is a nonprofit organization supporting non-violent, community-led development initiatives in Beit Ummar, West Bank. CFJ–Colorado has funded projects including children’s education, women’s economic empowerment, and early childhood infrastructure.

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