The Olive Harvest Season in Palestine, 2003

November 29, 2003

'And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth' Genesis 8:11

The olive tree is an integral part of the Mediterranean collective heritage and symbolizes prosperity and peace. It has always been an important part of the Mediterranean culture and a significant corner of the Palestinians' daily life. Palestine was no different from its Mediterranean neighbors; they regard the olive tree as a valuable commodity and an essential element of their future and prosperity.

During the preceding 36 years of Israeli occupation, Israel spared no effort to purge the Palestinian Territories from this sacred tree. The Israeli attempts to compromise the existence of the olive tree in the Palestinian Territories started soon after the 1967 war when Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The olive tree was indisputable evidence of the Palestinian ownership of the Land. The Israeli efforts to control the Palestinian land under the pretext of 'bygone laws' went in vain as the status of the olive trees in the Palestinian Territories was an explicit evidence that the olive trees were well maintained over centuries.

The olive tree has always been a target of the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian land, more of an orderly attack to divest the Palestinian land of its existence. Israel policy of land expropriation to build settlements and construct bypass roads all throughout the Palestinian territories have cost the Palestinians a substantial number of olive trees in excess of one million. The uprooting of the Palestinian olive tree was also a part of the Israeli occupation to contain and reduce the foremost natural resource of the Palestinian land. The orderly uprooting of olive trees by Israel in the Palestinian Territories always encountered an activity in relation to Israel; building settlements, constructing bypass roads, closed military areas, buffer zones, security zones, etc. See Photo 1, Photo 2 & Photo 3 , &

Israeli soldiers uprooting olive trees near Bethlehem city in Z'atara village to build a new bypass road. June 2, 2002

The olive harvest season is a celebrated time for the Palestinians: much as other countries, that takes pride and joy during the harvest times. The Israeli Army and the Settlers who operates under the protection of the preceding have altered this time of the years from a joyful season to a season of terror and despair. The Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest season are subjected to all kinds of terror. The fortified Israeli settlers under the Israeli Army protection seek to terrorize the Palestinian farmers by attacking them constantly; threaten their lives and the lives of their families, burning entire fields of olive trees, or spreading chemical agents to chemically burn and dry out the olive trees. See Photo 4

Photo 4: Olive trees are systemically uprooted, especially those located near roads traveled by settlers

Moreover, the Israeli settlers deny the Palestinian farmers' access to their lands during olive harvest season especially those lands adjacent to the Israeli settlements.

And now the Segregation Wall

The fallout of the Israeli built western Segregation Wall (Phase 1) in the Palestinian territories falls into different categorize. It confines the Palestinian territories to their current status with virtually no space for future territorial expansion. The western Segregation Wall also cuts off territorial contiguity between the West Bank districts.

On the other hand, the wall will detach the residents (280,000) of towns and villages (126), which penetrates their lands and slash out of 1043 Km2 of the total West Bank.The 620 Km long wall will literally devour approximately 18% of the West Bank. The Palestinians will mostly require special permits from the Israeli Authorities to reach their lands or just to get through to where they want to go; schools, hospitals, work, or anywhere else; passing through lands expropriated for the benefit of the Segregation Wall. See Map of the Segregation Wall

The western Segregation Wall (Phase 1) resulted in the uprooting of approximately 240,000 olive trees compromising a massive proportion of the Palestinian agricultural natural resources.

See Photo 5

Photo 6: The Wall uproots trees, sets land apart and separates farmers from their fields: The Wall uproots trees, sets land apart and separates farmers from their fields

How much are the losses of this farmer?

Facts & Figures about Olive Trees

Total area planted with olive trees in the West bank is in the region of 750.000 Dunums holding more or less 12 million olive trees.
Total area of land with olive trees isolated west of the segregation wall is 133.282 Dunums holding approximately 2.132.500 olive trees.
Total area of land with olive trees directly affected by the segregation wall including the buffer zone, is 15.000 Dunums, which, will eliminate 240.000 olive trees with total olive oil production estimated at 2550 tons and a value of $11.5 million per year. See Map of Olives

A considerable number of villages whose farmers cannot access their olive fields due to settlers' aggressive actions against them. See Table 1 & Table 2

Table 1: Villages whose farmers cannot access their olive fields

Governorate	Villages
Nablus	Biet Fureek, Biet Dajan, Deir Al Hatab, Aworta, Yanoon Al Foqa, Aqraba, Borein, Araq Borein, Aseera Al Qiblia, Al Laban Al Sharqia, Kharboun, Jaloud, Qasra, Al Naqoora, Ainbous, Hiwwara, Kafr Qaleel and Tel.
Tulkarem	Faroâ??un, Beit Lied, Rameen, Safareen, Kufr Al Labad, Shoufa, Kufr Sour, Al Ras and Al Zawiyeh.
Qalqilia	Ginsafout, Kufr Laqef, Azzoun, Habla, Ras Atteya, Ras Tier, Jayyous and Kufr Qadoum.
Salfeet	Masha, Hares, Kafl Hares, Salfeet, Iskaka, Yasouf, Dier Istia, Kufr Al Diek and Broqeen.
Ramallah	Al Laban Al Sharqia and Al Gharbia, Turmosayya, Ranees, Al Mazra'a, Mazare'a Al Nobani, Ras Karkar, Abu Ishkhaidem, Beit Ijza, Beit Diqqo, Al Madia, Qatanna and Khirab Al Lahem.
Bethlehem	Nahaleen, Husan, Batier, Taqou' and Keesan.
Hebron	Al Jaba'a, Surif, Safa, Dier Razeh, Karma, Yatta, Al Karmel, Susya, Um Al Khair, Al Shyoukh, Sa'ir and Bani Nu'eim.

Table 2: Violations against Farmers and Olive trees

Date	Violation	Violators	Location
12 Oct. 03	Arresting farmers	Israeli settlers	Al Jab'a, North of Hebron
15 Oct. 03	Uprooting fruitful trees and destroying the land	Israeli army	Dei al-Balah, Gaza
17 Oct. 03	Prohibiting farmers from reaching their fields by announcing them closed military areas	Israeli army	Northern Valleys, Tubas
17 Oct. 03	Attacking farmers	Israeli settlers	Northern Valleys, Tubas
17 Oct. 03	Razing agricultural land	Israeli army	Gaza Strip
18 Oct. 03	Shooting at farmers	Israeli army	Beit Hanon , Gaza
18 Oct. 03	Prohibiting farmers from reaching their fields	Israeli army	Beit Hanon , Gaza
18 Oct. 03	Prohibiting farmers from reaching their fields	Israeli army	Tulkarem
18 Oct. 03	Prohibiting farmers from reaching their fields	Israeli army	Tulkarem
20 Oct. 03	Razing 12,000 Dunums of agricultural land	Israeli army	Jenin
20 Oct. 03	Uprooting olive trees	Israeli army	Jenin
20 Oct. 03	Confiscating agricultural land	Israeli army	Jenin
21 Oct. 03	Prohibiting farmers from reaching their fields	Israeli army	Qaffin, Tulkarem
21 Oct. 03	razing 250 Dunums of agricultural land	Israeli army	Khan Yunis, Gaza
21 Oct. 03	Uprooting trees	Israeli army	Khan Yunis, Gaza
22 Oct. 03	Prohibiting farmers from reaching their fields	Israeli army	Qalqilya
22 Oct. 03	Prohibiting farmers from entering their lands unless they have permits	Israeli army	Tulkarem
22 Oct. 03	Razing 200 Dunums of agricultural land	Israeli army	Jerusalem
22 Oct. 03	Uprooting 500 olive trees	Israeli army	Jerusalem
22 Oct. 03	Prohibiting farmers from reaching their fields	Israeli army	Tura, Jenin
22 Oct. 03	Confiscating agricultural land	Israeli army	Tura, Jenin
24 Oct. 03	Attacking the farmers and forcing them to leave their farms	Israeli settlers	Nablus
28 Oct. 03	Uprooting of 200 olive trees	Israeli settlers	Einabus, Nablus
31 Oct. 03	Arresting 50 farmer	Israeli army	Qalqilya
9 Nov. 03	Prohibiting farmers from reaching their fields	Israeli settlers	Bethlehem