Daoud Nassar

Daoud Nassar is a native of Bethlehem, a Palestinian Christian, fluent in Arabic, German and English, with a Degree in Biblical Studies from a Bible School in Austria, a BA Degree in Business from Bethlehem University, and a Degree in Tourism Management from Bielefeld University in Germany.

He manages the family farm, known as Daher’s Vineyard, located just outside Bethlehem in the West Bank and he directs the work of the programmes and projects known as Tent of Nations there.The Nassar family land, purchased in 1916 by Daoud Nassar’s grandfather, is surrounded by Jewish settlements on three sides and the Palestinian village of Nahalin on the fourth.

The land is cut off from sources of water and electricity, and the family is resisting the loss of their land by going through the courts with proof of ownership (their case has been in the courts for decades and has been delayed multiple times — despite them having all the necessary paperwork) and by employing non-violent responses to Israeli laws that limit growth and personal freedom.

Activities such as planting olive trees, developing alternative energy sources, and improving ways to collect, store and use water supplies wisely are just some of the ways in which the Daoud and his family fight for human dignity.A 100-acre hilltop site, The Tent of Nations is an open and free enclave that serves as an educational and cultural centre for local Palestinians and Israelis, including the international visitors.

Through Tent of Nations, Daoud works each day to prepare the people on the land for the day when the walls come down. At the heart of Daoud’s work at Tent of Nations is their ‘refusal to be enemies’.