“Fraught with Blood & Violence” The Olive Harvest Season in Palestine 2015

Beside its vital importance for Palestinians as a symbolic of their attachment to their land,  the Olive tree represent a source of income for about 100,000 Palestinian families. Moreover, the olive industry constitute a significant sector in the Palestinian economy and considered to be the cornerstone of the agriculture sector.

With 10,936,772 [1] Olive trees in Palestine, a total amount of 29.6 tons of olive oil  (2.76 kilograms of oil production rate of each tree), generates about 622 million NIS (+159 million US Dollars) yearly.

Alike to any other economic segment , the olive sector in Palestine challenged by the Israeli Occupation. The Segregation Wall, settlers attacks , Israeli control over Palestinian water resources , all are an Israeli obstacles vandalizing the Olive Harvest Season and Olive industry in Palestine.

The Olive Harvest Season this year, had witnessed  a dramatic leap in the Israeli occupation harassment and violations , side by side, with a systematic Israeli Settlers’ aggressive assaults.

Chronology of violations and attacks that took place during the Olive Harvest Season 2015:-

• September 30, 2015: Clashes erupted between Palestinians and the Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) at the western entrance of Teqou’ village, southeast of Bethlehem city. The IOA fired teargas and stun grenades at Palestinians and land, causing dozens of suffocation cases and the burning of 5 olive trees.
• September 17, 2015: The  Israeli Occupation Authorities issued military orders to evacuate 26 dunums of Palestinian land and to uproot 123 trees in Beir Abu Ammar area, north of Qarawat Bani Hassan village, northwest of Salfit city. The targeted land owned by: Omar Rashid Rayan and Saber Mustapha Mar’i. Noted the Israeli Authorities claimed that the targeted land located within an area classified as “Nature Reserve”.

• September 28 , 2015:The Israeli Occupation Authorities handed out military orders to uproot 140 olive trees from As-Safar area near Beir Amar in Qarawet Bani Hassan village, north of Salfit city, under the claim that the targeted area classified by the Israeli Authorities as “Nature reserve”.
• September 15, 2015:The Israeli Occupation bulldozers continued razing Palestinian agricultural land at Marah Bassam and Al Marah Al Gharbi areas, west of Qaryout village, southeast of Nablus city, and uprooted a number of olive trees.
• September 8, 2015: the Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) closed an agricultural road in Arab Ar-Rashayida village in Bethlehem governorate. Noted that the targeted road led to 500 dunums of land planted with olive trees.  =
• September 11, 2015:The  Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) attacked the weekly non-violent protest against the segregation wall and Israeli settlements in An-Nabi Saleh village, north of Ramallah city. The IOA fired rubber bullets, teargas and stun grenades at participants, houses and land, causing dozens of suffocation cases and the injury of a Palestinian and the burning of a number of olive trees. 
• September 9, 2015:The  Israeli settlers razed Palestinian land planted with olive trees at Al Musrara area, west of Deir Istiya village in Salfit Governorate. Noted that the targeted land located near the Israeli bypass road which used by the Israeli settlers. The razing work carried out on 7 kilometers length.
• September 9, 2015 :Israeli settlers living in Yetzhar settlement set fire in dozens of olive trees in Burin village, south of Nablus city.

• October 2, 2015: The Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) attacked the weekly non-violent protest against the Segregation wall and settlements in Bil’in village, northwest of Ramallah city. The IOA fired teargas and stun grenades at participants and land, causing dozens of suffocation cases, and the torch of tens dunums of Palestinian land planted with olive trees. 
• October 3, 2015 :Israeli settlers escorted by the Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) cut a number of olive trees in Kafr Ad-Dik village in Salfit Governorate.

• October 2, 2015 :Israeli settlers torched tens olive trees in Burin village, south of Nablus city, and tried to storm a house. The Israeli settlers also, attacked Palestinian Civil Defense crew.
• October 3, 2015 : Israeli settlers living in the illegal Israeli  settlements of  Yetzhar and Bracha escorted by the Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) attacked Palestinian houses and land in Burin village, south of Nablus city and torched agricultural land planted with olive trees. Clashes erupted between Palestinians and the IOA, where the  IOA fired live and rubber bullets and teargas grenades at Palestinians, causing dozens of suffocation cases.

• October 4, 2015 :Israeli settlers torched Palestinian agricultural land planted with olive trees at the eastern part of Urif village, south of Nablus city.
• October 9, 2015 :Israeli settlers living in Elon Moreh settlement destroyed a number of olive trees in Rujeib village, southeast of Nablus city.
• October 9, 2015 : Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinian farmers while they were harvesting olive trees in Yanun village, southeast of Nablus city.
• October 13, 2015 :Israeli settlers escorted by the Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) detained and assaulted four Palestinian farmers while they were harvesting olive trees in Tell village, west of Nablus city. The Palestinians were identified as: Abdulla Mohammad Abdulla Shteh, Ahmed Nayef Hindi, Muqdad Zedan and Karem Abed Al Men’em Ramadan.
• October 14, 2015: Israeli settlers prevented Palestinian farmers and International activists from reaching land in Salfit city, to harvest olive trees.

• October 16, 2015 :The Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) attacked the weekly non-violent protest against the segregation wall and settlements in Bil’in village, west of Ramallah city. The IOA fired teargas and stun grenades at participants, causing dozens of suffocation cases. During the operation, the IOA attacked Palestinian farmers while they were harvesting olive trees.  
• October 19, 2015 :Israeli settlers living in Leshem outpost harvested Palestinian olive trees in Kafr Ad-Dik village, west of Salfit city and destroyed Palestinian agricultural land. The targeted trees and land are owned by Musleh Nayef Salman Ad-Dik.
• October 14, 2015 :Israeli settlers torched Palestinian agricultural land planted with olive trees in Jabal Salman area in Burin village, south of Nablus city, and opened fire and hurled stones at Palestinian farmers and International activists, causing the injury of an Italian activist. 
• October 14, 2015 :Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) prevented Palestinian farmers from Burin village, south of Nablus city., from reaching their land to harvest olive trees.
• October 15, 2015 : David Amos, 66, a British volunteer, was attacked by Israeli settlers from Yetzhar settlement in Burin village in Nablus as he volunteered to help Palestinian farmers on an olive grove. Mr. Amos said that the settlers fired gunshots as they approached, causing him to sit on the ground and yell to his colleagues to take cover. ''They were shouting at us 'go' in English and also shouting in Hebrew. A man stood no more than four feet from me and threw this rock which hit me on the back of the head. I was sitting upright and I fell over on my side and then he and two others kicked me. The women were shouting 'we are British' so they knew we were British before the rock was thrown. He also added that the Israeli settlers also set fire to undergrowth. ''There was already a fire burning by the time they threw the stone at me. They set fire to more trees and undergrowth as we made our way away from the olive grove. They pursued us but they didn't come and attack us again.'' A Palestinian farmer was also wounded by stone throwing in the same incident.
• October 19, 2015 :Israeli settlers prevented the Mayor of Nablus governorate; Akram Ar-Rujob, and a number of Palestinian farmers from harvesting olive trees form Palestinian land in Salem village, east of Nablus city. Noted that the targeted land located near the Israeli settlement of Elon Moreh.
• October 20, 2015 :The Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) prevented Palestinian landowners and a number of Palestinian volunteers from reaching the land of Beir ‘Ona area in Beit Jala town, west of Bethlehem city, to harvest olive trees.
• October 20, 2015 : Resident Saqir Mahmoud Hussein Harzalla (14 years) was injured after a number of Israeli settlers living in Mevo Dotan settlement assaulted him while he was harvesting olive trees in his family land which located near the settlement
• October 22, 2015 :The Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) uprooted a number of trees around Bilal Ben Rabah mosque, at the northern entrance of Bethlehem city.
• October 23, 2015 :Resident Mus’ab Mohammad Ibrahim Aghnemat (16 years), from Surif village in Hebron governorate, was injured after an Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) opened fire at him while he was harvesting olive trees in Al Jab’a village, southwest of Bethlehem city.
• October 23, 2015 :The Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) attacked the weekly non-violent protest against the segregation wall and settlements in Bil’in village, west of Ramallah city. The IOA fired rubber bullets, teargas and stun grenades at Palestinians, causing dozens of suffocation cases, and the torched dozens of dunums of Palestinian agricultural land planted with olive trees. The targeted land is owned by Mahmoud Yassen and Mohammad Abu Rahma.  

• October 23, 2015 : the Israeli Occupation Army (IOA) attacked the weekly non-violent protest against the segregation wall and settlement in Kafr Qadoum village, east of Qalqilyah city. The IOA fired rubber bullets and teargas grenades at Palestinians, causing dozens of suffocation cases. Noted that before the protest, the IOA carried out military training near the Israeli settlement of Kedumim, and fired teargas grenades at Palestinian land planted with olive trees, causing the torch of 50 olive trees.
• October 23, 2015 :Israeli settlers living in Kedumim settlement set fire in Palestinian agricultural land, located near the aforementioned settlement. Noted that the targeted land planted with olive trees.
• October 25, 2015 :An Israeli settler opened fire and seriously injured ‘Azam ‘Azmi Shalalda (20 years) while he was harvesting olive trees at Wadi Sa’ir area in Hebron governorate.
• October 26, 2015 :Israeli settlers living in Elon Moreh settlement attacked Palestinian farmers while they were harvesting olive trees in Deir Al Hatab and ‘Azmut village in Nablus governorate, and assaulted a Palestinian old man.
• October 29, 2015 :Resident Khaled Mahmoud Abu Rajab , from Yatta town south of Hebron was attacked by the Israeli settlers while harvesting his olive groves in his land located Abu Al-Hummus valley in Dar Salah village east of Bethlehem Governorate. Mr. Abu Rajab was left with broken leg.
• November 1, 2015 : A herd of Israeli settlers attacks Palestinian farmers while there harvesting their olive trees and stole picking equipment’s from them in Burin south of Nablus. The farmers indicated that while they were picking their olive trees a group of Israeli settlers from the nearby Israeli settlement of Yetzhar attacked them and stole their picking equipment’s. They also added that in the same morning , the Israeli Amy prevented a group from International volunteers from reaching their fields to help them in the Harvest.
• November 9, 2015 : An Israeli settler opened fire on dozens of Palestinian farmers picking their olive groves in their land in Al-Lubban Al-Sharqia south of  Nablus Governorate.

Olive Harvest Season 2015……..Distinctive Occupation Dominance

With 86 agriculture gates placed along the 771 km length Segregation Wall,  the entire Palestinian landscape dominated by the Israeli Occupation Army.

Clashed with the Israeli methodic violations , attacks and procedures, the Olive harvest season in Palestine had sustained a tremendous losses where out of the 86 Wall agriculture gates 9 are open to Palestinian farmers on a daily basis while about 60 are opened during Olive Harvest Season. Those opened during the Olive season, are subjected to restrictive security measures and conditioned on a special short , fixed period, permits issued by the Israeli Civil Administration. Moreover, the Palestinian farmers passing from these gates subjected to security check and most often the Israeli soldiers at these crossings expropriating the harvesting equipment’s from them under security pretexts!.

It’s worth pointed that the number of olive trees uprooted as a direct result of the Israeli construction of the Segregation Wall surpasses 50,000  while the  Wall also has affected more than 126 Palestinian communities, separating numerous Palestinian towns and villages from their lands and olive groves.

Settlers Attacks…..a Growing Challenge

Beside the uprooting and destruction of tens of thousands of trees in the process of constructing the Segregation Wall , a growing challenge arises that dramatically affecting the Olive Sector in the Palestinian Territory which is the  cumulative Israeli Settlers violence.  From the beginning of the year 2015 ARIJ registered 351 settlers attacks that crucially affecting the agriculture sector in general and the Olive Harvest Season in specific. Out of the settlers’ attacks, 114 of which, (32 %from total attacks in the year 2015), committed in the month of  October 2015.

Indeed , the Israeli settlers violence against the Palestinian farmers and mainly in the Olive harvest season, ranging from depriving the farmers from reaching to their lands , attacking them, , stealing of olive and equipment’s. More than that ,the Israeli settlers , and in light of the absence of any type of deterrent, used to open fire (live bullets) on the Palestinian farmers and land owners,  physically  assaulting them and release stray dogs in their fields during harvesting time.

Actually, the reluctance of Israeli occupation authorities to address the settlers violence and prosecute those responsible, contributes to the severe affect on Palestinian residents in all parts of the oPt .

Ultimately, the Israeli occupation restrictions and violations, along with the Israeli settlers attacks , have made it much more difficult for Palestinians to harvest their olive groves. The, -systematic nature- Israeli attacks and restrictions posed over the Palestinians include the following : confiscation of equipment’s ,destruction of crops, imposing fines, expropriation of ID cards , attacking farmers, land leveling, land confiscation  and restriction of movement mainly through permits system and the checkpoints which includes the agriculture Wall gates/crossings.

Legal & International Status

The prolonged Israeli Occupation of the Palestinian Territories constitutes a flagrant breach for International law. United Nation Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) called on Israel to withdraw from all territories occupied during its aggression on June 4, 1967.

For the past 48 years, the successive Israeli governments had refused to comply with these binding resolutions. Consequently, since the Palestinian Territories have a legal status of an  “Occupied Territory” under international law rules , then the Israeli Occupation State of Israel is required to act in accordance with international humanitarian law.

The Israeli destruction and ravaging of the Olive groves or any other agricultural products,  as well as other Palestinian private properties or infrastructure, is a grave breach for the International law rules and conventions.

In point of fact , and in light of the absence of “military rendering operations” or lack of security pretexts in the case of war", the blatant destruction of the Palestinian Olive groves, either by the Israeli Occupation Army, or by the herds of the Israeli settlers, constitute a scandalous breach for the International law rules and conventions: (Art. 51 of the 1949 Geneva Convention II –Art. 147 of the 1949 Geneva Convention IV- Art. 53 of the 1949 Geneva Convention IV-Art. 23(g) of the 1899 Hague Regulations – the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of, December 10, 1948, Articles 13 and 17 and Article 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 19 December 1966  :-

• Articles 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention indicated that: Extensive destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly. is a grave breach of the Convention.

• Art. 23 of the Hague Convention of 1907 also provides: In addition to the prohibitions provided by special Conventions, it is especially forbidden to destroy or seize the enemy's property, unless such destruction or seizure be imperatively demanded by the necessities of war;.

• Article 53 of the same convention provides that 'any destruction by the Occupying power of real or personal property belonging individually or collectively to private persons, or to the State, or other public authorities or social or cooperative organizations is prohibited, except where such destruction is rendered absolutely necessary by military operations.'

• Article 147 of the convention considers 'extensive destruction and appropriate of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly' as a grave breach of the Convention and thus constitute a war crime.

• Under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Adopted and proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of, December 10, 1948, Article 17 reads: 'No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.' Which means it bans Israel from destroying or confiscating the property of the Palestinians at any case.

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 13: Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State. 

• Article 12' of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Right International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 19 December 1966: Everyone lawfully within the territory of a State shall, within that territory, have the right to liberty of movement and freedom to choose his residence.

• Moreover ,uprooting of Olive trees violates the trade policies of the Paris protocols of 1954 which calls for 'free access for Palestinian goods to the Israeli market and vice versa.' The curfews and the uprooting are a clear violation of this clear security.                                                                                  

[1] facts & numbers about the olive Sector in Palestine 2014-2015 , the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture.

Prepared by:  
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem