The Palestinian Olive Survival Battle
“Israeli Aggressions during the 2010 Olive Picking Season”

Agriculture is considered a major pillar in the Palestinian economy through large contribution to the gross national income and providing hundreds of jobs beside its big role in food security. The olive field is supposed to be playing a major part in the agricultural development in the oPt; in addition to its symbolic and historical importance.

 

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, 938000 dunums all around the West Bank are planted with olive trees especially in Nablus, Ramallah, and Salfit Governorates. The Palestinian olive oil occupies a share of 1% of the global production. The Ministry expected the production of more than 23800 tons of olive oil beside 11000 tons of pickled olives.

 

It is known that the Israeli aggressions increase rapidly during this season; such aggressions include theft of crop beside destruction of olive fields. Based on the violations reports produced during this specific season; the 2010 season witness the most vicious attack since 5 years. Meanwhile, the Israeli colonial expansion have increased significantly; being fed by the Israeli racist policy and ideology. More than 63 violations were reported in the West Bank from September to November, 2010. The violations have taken various forms, nevertheless, they all had one objective which was sabotaging the olive picking season. The aggressions had taken place based on orders of one of Israel’s most respected rabiis “Obada Yusuf” which were published using pamphlets distributed among the colonists communities all around the West Bank. The pamphlets called for expelling the Palestinians from their homes and preventing them from picking their olives. He legislated the destruction, uprooting, and burning of olive trees besides, he allowed stealing the Palestinians olive crops.

 

All of these aggressions occurred concurrently with the plowing and leveling of olive fields located nearby Israeli colonies in the West Bank, especially after the expiry of the so-called moratorium period which started on November 25, 2009 and lasted for 10 months.

However, the Israeli obstacles did not prevent most of the Palestinian farmers from reaching their lands and picking their olive crops since the bond between Palestinians and their olives is stronger than they can ever imagine.

 

Aggression	Victims	Area (dunum)	Damaged trees	Estimated loss (USD)
Burn	71	115	2631	3582600
Cutting, uprooting	41	22	594*	809200
Theft	109	356	3740	257094
Chemical attacks	13	20	480	672000
Pumping sewage	24	120	230	322000
Total	258	633	7635	5642894

 

*including 70 seedlings that were planted last year

 

Governorate	location	Trees
		Cutting, uprooting	Burn	Theft of crop	Poisoned	Damaged by sewage
Hebron	Yatta – Susiya	—	—	125	—	—
Bethlehem	Husan	—	180	—	—	—
	Al Walaja	400	—	—	—	—
Jerusalem	At Tur	40	—	—	—	—
Ramallah	Turmus ‘Ayya	40	—	—	100	—
	Deir ‘Ammar	—	52	—	—	—
	Al Janya	25	—	200	—	—
	Bitillo	—	—	70	—	—
	Al Maghir	—	—	—	380	—
Salfit	Mas-ha	—	—	600	—	—
	Kafl Haris			325	—	—
Qalqiliya	Kafr Kaddum	—	43	106	—	—
	Kafr Kaddum – Al Habayel	—	—	250	—	—
	Fer’ata	—	190	—	—	—
	Fer’ata – Al Sateh	—	—	1180	—	—

Table 2, cont’d:

Governorate	Location	trees
		Cutting, uprooting	Burn	Theft of crop	Poisoned	Damaged by sewage
Nablus	Jama’een – south part	6	—	—	—	—
	Salim – Al Lahd	—	130	—	—	—
	Tal – Qarn Shkeit	—	341	—	—	—
	Jet – eastern part	—	24	—	—	—
	Huwwara	—	37	—	—	—
	Huwwara – Hawd al Naqara	50	–	—	—	—
	‘Awarta – north eastern part	—	87	—	—	—
	‘Awarta – Hawd al Kalab	7	—	—	—	—
	Al Lubban ash Sharqi – southern part	—	47	—	—	—
	Al Lubban ash Sharqi – Al Najma	14	—	—	—	—
	Al Lubban ash Sharqi – Al Batin	—	—	24	—	—
	Burin – Dar al Sabi’	12	—	250	—	—
	Burin – Bab at Tina	—	—	275	—	10
	Yanun – eastern part	—	—	17	—	—
	Yanun – Bab al Waqf	—	—	300	—	—
	As Sawiyya – eastern part	—	—	18	—	—
	Tal – ‘Imarat al Mansoura	—	1500	—	—	—
	Deir al Hatab – Wadi al Jaghoub	—	—	—	—	220
total		594	2631	3740	480	230