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Planting trees next to the fallen

In the second week of September international peace activists and local volunteers joined together to plant trees in the Nablus region. The trees were received at request from the Ministry of Agriculture, and began to be planted in three days of work. This activity marked the beginning of a larger tree planting campaign for the next months, during which around 100,000 trees are supposed to be delivered for the Nablus region.

For these first days Palestinians and internationals had decided to plant trees in the martyr cemeteries of Nablus city and the refugee camps Al-Ayn and Al-Askar. These sites were chosen to show solidarity with the victims of the occupation and as a symbol of support for the community of Nablus. While the volunteers were working there, some locals who were present expressed their appreciation, some youths and children nearby spontaneously even joined in with the work. This positive feedback raises hope that this shared work will strengthen ties between the Palestinian community and the foreign supporters.

Future plantings are supposed to be carried out mainly in surrounding villages; on lands where trees have been previously uprooted or burned by settlers from neighbouring illegal settlements, and on Palestinian land, that Palestinians are prevented from reaching. Another plan is to use tree plantings during demonstrations against the checkpoints, whereby trees will be planted from both sides of the barrier to symbolically reclaim the land.