It’s difficult at times to keep track of the time here. The days pass fast and at the same time they are fulfilled with so many things to do from very early time in the morning.
I have been a few days away from the Jordan Valley, supporting the olive harvest in different communities. Communities of resistance are many of them. Accessing the land is an act of standing before the oppressor. Two days ago, we visited Kafr Qaddum. For over ten years the village held demonstrations every Friday to stand together. They stopped for a while after October 7th, they also stopped the harvest. Today, over 100 People marched up the hills of the olive grove. It feels like a demonstration again.
Defiantly, we reached the beginning of the outpost where settlers received us angry and tried to stop us, accompanied by their true supporters: the Israeli Occupation Forces. They already stole a lot of the olives of that grove and tried to steal the very few we had in some sacks. We stuck together, pushed together, kept walking up together while they tried to stop us. Armed, masked, threatening, violent… With the tarps and in groups, confident in what we do, we found a tree and kept picking olives. With the army behind us at the same level as the watching point of the outpost, we started singing Italian antifascist songs to ease the situation. What a powerful moment.
I am back in the Jordan Valley now, reading some reports back from the last two days that shows the ecocidal nature of the colonisation strategy: 150 olive trees have been cut off in Beita, where the clashes happened last Friday.
It is difficult to manage very opposite feelings like these two. It’s a constant mental struggle where steadfastness really plays a role. I think that, unfortunately, we know very little about it in our ways of understanding the struggle in the western countries these days.
It is possible that people might see here a very little chance to bring this land back, but there is something nobody should doubt: they can’t steal the dignity. Some Palestinian people mentioned here how this fight is against something bigger than Israel, there are bigger ambitions on the meaning of this genocidal politics against Palestine. And I think that, from our grandiose position on liberal realpolitik and white supremacy, we are no one to determine the future of this land amidst the current circumstances, neither from governments nor from smaller political groups. It takes a little moment to change the course of events and a big will to commit to it. The people here are still standing with dignity and strong will, and they deserve no condescension.
The olive harvest continues, the night watch continues, the companionship continues, and Palestinian people keep inviting us to join them in their actions to face the colonial invader every morning, with dignity.
Keep talking about Palestine, keep an eye on the West Bank, keep the hope, keep the dignity.
by Valle Carvajal