It’s finally harvest season here in Israel and Palestine. The olives are ripe for picking, and families prepare to visit their groves to collect their fruits to sell or press into oil, soap or other natural products that date back generations. Families have their own secret blends, recipes and uses for the trees that grow on their privately owned land. It paints an image of serenity, of joy, of peace.
Now lets look at the reality and the dark truth that happens every year through the harvest weeks. It is an opportunity for settler extremists to exert power and to prevent Palestinian communities from reaching their own land, water supplies and tools. It is a show of aggression that they seem to enjoy every year – only this year was worse.
Following our proud tradition, around 40 Combatants for Peace staff and activists went to Battir, a Palestinian village on the outskirts of Bethlehem, known for ancient waterways, the remains of an Ottoman railway track, and plentiful olive trees.
We met as a team, discussed our strategy to help the farmer as much as possible, and left in two groups toward Battir by foot. As we tried to approach the village, one group was stopped by the Israeli army, pushed to the floor, harassed, and blocked, while the other group was immediately surrounded by violent settlers as they reached Battir. We used all of our non-violent training to de-escalate the situation and declare our right to be there and our intention to pick olives. In return they threw smoke bombs, held up their weapons, and incited violence against us.
We walked on slowly, surrounded by military personnel, and were able to reach a large tree where we collected the olives, worked together as a team, and held our ground to uphold our human rights, and those of the residents of Battir. We did all we could to stop settlers approaching the trees and ourselves, and to stop the military from forcefully removing us. We know our rights, we know the farmers of Battir have rights, and we stood together to claim them. Eventually, a unit commander arrived to declare the area a ‘closed military zone’ and we had to move on, evicted by the army and the threat of mounting violence.
But all of this still isn’t enough, not by a long stretch. The settlers are lawless, running riot through Palestinian lands, supported by the Israeli army that stand by idle. How can this be allowed to continue? We must not look away.
Time is running out for too many. For the families that can’t collect their olives and live at the mercy of violent settlers, for the people of North Gaza that have no food, aid or safety, and for the hostages that are still abandoned in the tunnels with no light or air. We will continue to stand our ground to support them all.
We still have hope that the war will end, the killing will stop, and the day after the war will begin. We can’t let the darkness overwhelm us. Rana, our Palestinian Co-Director recently told CNN;
“Today, we are united in our grief but we are also united in our hope. We use this time not only for reflection, but for action”
Stay hopeful with us.
In peace & solidarity,
Combatants for Peace
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