Tag: Olive harvest

A land divided: Gate closures for Salim’s olive harvest by IOF

3 October 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

For more pictures of Salim's olive harvest ordeal, click here.

As Palestinians in Salim began the first day of their annual olive harvest this morning, October 2nd, Israeli Occupation Forces locked the gate which gives those living in Salim access to their olive trees. The gate was unlocked at 7:00am to allow farmers to reach their trees, but shortly afterward, soldiers locked the gate for purported ‘security reasons’ around 9:00am according to many reports. When passing shortly after 8:00am, four ISM volunteers reported no problems with two soldiers guarding the gate. Sporadically throughout the day, the gate was opened a few times to allow access to the olive trees or village center. From 9:00am until 5:00pm, there was only a possibility for those living in Salim to reach their land through the single entrance/exit.

The village itself is divided — the settler only road has carved the land in two and beyond the road lies the majority of the olive trees which are adjacent to the illegal Israeli settlement, Elon Moreh. After the al-Aqsa Intifada, the gate was built not only to restrict movement for Palestinians in Salim to reach their land where the majority of trees are growing, but also to continually keep the residents of Salim completely enclosed. The gate now serves as the only entrance and exit for those living in Salim to reach their olive trees, many of which have been overgrazed by settler’s sheep.

Seven years ago, 100 sheep were stolen by settlers from Salim’s Abu Sultan while he and his family were bound up inside their home. Those sheep, now belonging to the Eskali family, graze on the lower branches of the trees belonging to the Ahmed Abul-Jabar’s family which then leave them barren, dried out, and unable to grow olives. It isn’t just overgrazing, however — the farmers from Salim are only able to tend to their trees twice a year due to the Israeli occupation and annexation of their historic land. In April, Palestinians are allowed to till the land and ensure the trees are ready to grow. The next time they are able to reach the groves is October when harvest season begins. Palestinians are restricted from being able to access their land in order to properly irrigate, prune, and care for the olive trees. Today, family members all remarked how poor this season was in particular due to these problems from the illegal Israeli occupation.

This morning marked the first of four allotted days Palestinians in Salim for the olive harvest. Before the Intifada, Salim’s farmers could spend a month properly picking the olives. Now, after applying for a permit through the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Agriculture which secondly gets approved through the Israeli District Coordination Office, residents of Salim are only given four days.

Many farmers today reported being frightened and scared of being threatened by the settlers surrounding Salim or being intimidated by the Israeli soldiers. While there were no clashes with settlers today as in the past, the closure of the main gate proved troublesome for many looking to access their land. Soldiers reluctantly unlocked the gate when Palestinians and ISM volunteers asked only to lock it again shortly after.

Kufr Qaddoum demands access

by Alistair George

30 September 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Israeli military forces mounted an aggressive incursion into the centre of Kufr Qaddum today, in response to the weekly demonstration against the closure of the main road linking the village to the nearby city of Nablus, in the North of the West Bank.  The Israeli military fired tear gas canisters directly into streets crowded with villagers and international observers, causing many to suffer from severe gas inhalation.

Murad Shttaiwi, spokesman of the demonstrations, confirmed that this was the furthest that the Israeli military had entered into the village since the weekly protests began on 1 July 2011.  He also claimed that after the protest in Kufr Qaddum on Friday 23 September 2011, fires caused by Israeli military tear gas canisters burned nearly 200 olives trees.

After midday prayers today around 250 villagers, marched to the edge of Kufr Qaddum where they burned an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and called for the road to be re-opened.  In response, the Israeli military deployed military vehicles and fired tear gas to drive the protesters back into the village, whilst Palestinian youths threw stones.

The main road linking Kufr Qaddum to Nablus passes by Qadumim, an illegal Israeli settlement, and was closed by the Israeli military in 2003 during the Second Intifada.  The distance from Kufr Qaddum to Nablus is 13km on the main road; however, villagers are now forced to take an alternative route which is 26km long.  The road remains closed to the emergency services and, according to Murad Shttaiwi, three people have died since 2003 because the ambulances were forced to take seriously ill villagers via the longer route to Nablus.

A recent report published by the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy estimated that restrictions on movement imposed by Israeli forces costs the Palestinian economy $184m a year.

Murad Shttaiwi says that the village has suffered greatly for many years because of the closure of the road.  He is also concerned about the upcoming olive harvest in Kurf Qaddum;

“Last year the military only allowed us to collect olives for one or two days.  On the days that we couldn’t go, the settlers came and stole the olives.”

 

Alistair George is an activist with International Solidarity Movement (name has been changed).

Wasteland in al Walajeh: Israeli military destruction of farmland

7 September 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

On Tuesday September  6th local Palestinians from the village of Al Walajeh gathered with international activists to protest the building of the illegal separation barrier as well as the destruction of ancient olive trees. The demonstrators succeeded in halting the razing of Palestinian land for approximately one hour before soldiers violently broke up the protest arresting one Palestinian and one Israeli activist.

On September 5th bulldozers protected by dozens of soldiers arrived at 4 AM and uprooted 50 olive trees that date back at least 100 years. The bulldozers also destroyed 18 almond trees, 27 pine trees, and 8 fruit trees. The destruction took place in an area of over 1 square mile and was declared a closed military zone, prohibiting media coverage of the devastating operation.

Mohammed Al-Atrash (Abu Wajih), the elderly farmer who owned the trees, will receive no compensation for his loss.

In the aftermath residents of Al Walajeh called for a presence of media and activists to highlight this illegal destruction carried out by the Israeli government. At approximately 10am on Tuesday several residents from the village, joined by ISM and other activists, walked down to the site of the olive grove, which is now a wasteland. Upon arriving they stood in front of the construction machines and forced them to halt their work.

Soldiers declared the area a closed military zone and disbanded the protest by force within an hour. Yousif Shakawi, a local resident in his 50’s was arrested along with one Israeli activist. The remaining protesters were held at distance so that the work could resume.

The trees were destroyed in preparation for the building of the illegal Israeli apartheid wall which is planned to run several hundred metres inside the 1967 green line, effectively seizing hundreds of dunnums of land from around Al Walajeh. If the Israeli government succeeds in completing the wall along the planned route the village will be surrounded on three sides with the army controlling entrance and exit to the village.

Sheerin Alaraj, who has lived in Al Walajeh all her life, explained to us that construction of the wall was continuing in spite of an on going appeal process in the Israeli high court with a ruling expected September 27th .  However Sheerin has little confidence in the process as she explained to us “the court is just an extension of the military arm of Israel.”

In 2004 the International Court of Justice declared that the apartheid wall is illegal and Israel should tear it down immediately and compensate the victims. In spite of this ruling Israel has continued construction of the wall which annexes 8.5% of the entire West Bank territory. Since 2000 Israel has destroyed approximately 330,000 olive trees in the West Bank and Gaza. There is currently a campaign to boycott Caterpillar Inc. for its role in supplying the Israeli government with equipment used to enforce the occupation.

As the time for harvesting olives nears and Israeli military and settlers continue to destroy the main agricultural pillar of Palestinian culture and livelihood, International Solidarity Movement will be actively working throughout the harvesting season to safeguard Palestinians and assist in harvesting despite this and other events that have threatened security and access to Palestinian farmland. For more information on ISMs Olive Harvest Campaign, visit our website.

 

Yitzhar settlers violently crash Burin wedding, military watches

6 September 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, West Bank

Settlers cause fires in Burin.

While villagers were celebrating a wedding in the small village of Burin, Israeli arsonists from the illegal settlement of Yitzhar seized the opportunity to set ablaze olive groves, destroying over 200 olive trees.

On September 5th at 5 AM, locals in the village of Burin and other surrounding areas awoke to the crashing sound of stones pelting their parked vehicles. The harassment continued, and at 3:15pm during a village party, settlers from the neighboring, illegal settlement of Yitzhar began to assault the village from the hilltops by rolling burning tires towards olive orchards.

Five tires were thrown at the groups of olive trees in a measured attempt to ensure maximum damage. When the Israeli army arrived the settlers began to stroll back towards the settlement, with soldiers closing off the road to prevent a fire truck from reaching the fire.

A number of villagers, who were at the wedding, left and started to make their way towards their olive groves, yet were stopped by Israeli military.

“The settlers were masked, and one settler had a video camera and was filming the event,” said Ghassan, a local of Burin.

As the illegal settlers stood to watch the trees burning, they were joined by a second group of settlers from a neighboring outposts. 5 families lost a total of over 200 trees due to this particular instance. Over 4000 olive trees have been uprooted or burnt by the illegal settlers from Yitzhar, which was erected in 1984.

This follows suit with the “price tag campaign” Yitzhar has famously coined, attacking Palestinians violently to wage a toll on their existence, while Israelis and Palestinians call on the Israeli military to stop condoning such attacks as the time for harvesting olives nears. International Solidarity Movement will be actively working during this time to safeguard Palestinians and assist in harvesting despite violent threats made by settlers throughout the West Bank.

For more information on ISMs Olive Harvest Campaign, visit our website.

 

Soldiers abandon Palestinian farmers in Kufr Qalil

24 October 2010 | International Solidarity Movement

Farmers in Kufr Qalil, near Nablus, were scheduled to receive army protection yesterday through the Israeli District Coordination Office (DCO), in order to harvest their olives on land near the illegal Bracha settlement. The family, accompanied by four international activists, went to the land and was initially pleased to find army jeeps nearby as planned. Later in the morning, two settlers came down from the nearby outpost, yelling at the Palestinians and internationals from across the settler-only road. As the nearby army vehicle came down, seemingly to intervene, the farmers were again relieved by the fact that the DCO was keeping their word. But the jeeps soon disappeared, while the settlers remained. Tension was high in the olive groves, and fear of what could happen prompted a phone call to Rabbis for Human Rights, who got in touch with the DCO, demanding that the “protection” return. The soldiers eventually came back, driving to the settlers and joining them across the road from the olive fields. They walked together, talking casually, but the army never approached the Palestinian farmers. After a short time, the owner of the farmland decided to give up and continue harvesting a safer plot of land, farther from the settlement, as he was feeling very nervous, and had three of his young grandchildren with him.

The Israeli DCO provides farmers with permits to access their own land with the protection of Israeli forces. Often these permits are only for a day or two (usually not long enough to complete a harvest), and the DCO decides which days the farmers can go. This means that they frequently have to choose between “army protection” and the best day for harvesting their livelihood, which often results in the army playing the opposite role, forcing farmers to leave their land. As can be seen from yesterday, even when Palestinians receive a permit and comply with the decisions of the DCO, they often don’t receive any sort of real protection, with the army leaving, or even protecting settlers when they harass the farmers.