The Palestinian olives are a symbol of civilization, history, and identity which makes it a target for the Israeli occupiers who tend to cleanse the Palestinians and remove them from these lands. Every year, the olive-picking season becomes a season of attacks carried out by Israeli colonists spreading all around the West Bank; all being done under the protection, probably supervision, of the Israeli Occupation Authorities which bless the attacks.
Qaryut village was subjected to the most number of aggressions in 2012; the brutality of the colonists in the destruction of Roman (centuries old) olives was significant. Using gas to burn trees and saws to cut all of its branches was not new but the way it was done shows the brutality and hatred of these colonists during their attacks on this symbol of peace.
It is worthy to mention that targeting mosques and public properties by the group ‘price tag’ comes concurrently with attacks on olive trees and farmers all around the West Bank. this proves that the attacks are systematic and organized and not just isolated incidents showing that certain organizations stand behind the attacks.
Undoubtedly, the last olive picking season was not different than the previous ones in terms of the Israeli soldiers and colonists maltreatment of olive trees and farmers which included chasing away farmers, ravaging trees, and stealing crops. This year, 76 aggressions have been reported including 41 against trees. The attacks in brief:
76 attacks on farmers including 70 that were committed by colonists.
2183 olive trees were damaged during the olive picking season, these included:
1900 trees cut or uprooted, 250 trees soaked in sewage, and 33 burned.
975 trees were permanently damaged were the rest were ravaged partially.
the attacks hit 315 seedlings, 510 5-10 years of age, and 1358 productive trees.
Table 1: Israeli aggressions against olive trees in the 2012 olive picking season
Date | Town | Location | Torching | Uprooting | Soaking in sewage |
Hebron | 0 | 446 | 0 | ||
15/9/2012 | Yatta | Al Hamra, At Tawani | 2 | ||
15/9/2012 | Yatta | Al Hamra, At Tawani | 9 | ||
15/9/2012 | Yatta | Al Hamra, At Tawani | 6 | ||
15/9/2012 | Yatta | Al Hamra, At Tawani | 1 | ||
15/9/2012 | Yatta | Al Hamra, At Tawani | 8 | ||
15/9/2012 | Yatta | Al Hamra, At Tawani | 1 | ||
14/10/2012 | Beit Ummar | 16 | |||
14/10/2012 | Beit Ummar | 3 | |||
22/11/2012 | Yatta | Ad Deirat | 400 | ||
Bethlehem | 0 | 340 | 50 | ||
6/10/2012 | Al Khader | Al Masatsa | 170 | ||
6/10/2012 | Al Khader | Al Masatsa | 70 | ||
16/10/2012 | Al Khader | Irq al Zi’ba | 50 | ||
8/11/2012 | Nahhalin | Ein Fares | 50 | ||
1/11/2012 | Wadi Fukin | 50 | |||
Ramallah | 18 | 357 | 0 | ||
4/10/2012 | Mikhmas | Al Hilwa, western part of the village | |||
9/10/2012 | Ras Karkar | Khirbat ‘Iner | |||
10/10/2012 | Mughayyir | Jabal al Amwat | |||
11/10/2012 | Burqa | Ras al Aqaba | |||
12/10/2012 | Bitillo | Adh Dhor | |||
19/10/2012 | Deir Ammar | An Nabi ‘Iner | |||
19/10/2012 | Deir Ammar | An Nabi ‘Iner | |||
19/10/2012 | Deir Ammar | An Nabi ‘Iner | |||
22/10/2012 | Deir Ammar | An Nabi ‘Iner | 9 | ||
22/10/2012 | Deir Ammar | An Nabi ‘Iner | 4 | ||
22/10/2012 | Al Janya | 5 | |||
22/10/2012 | Al Mazraa | 20 | |||
Nablus | 15 | 346 | |||
9/9/2012 | Qusra | Salta, south eastern part of the village | |||
28/9/2012 | Burin | Khallit Siwar | |||
7/11/2012 | As Sawiyya | Kaffit al Wa’r | |||
9/10/2012 | Qaryut | Al Bteisha | |||
13/10/2012 | Qaryut | Al Bteisha | 15 | ||
17/10/2012 | Deir al Hatab | Khallit Ismael | |||
6/11/2012 | Burin | 68 | |||
Salfit | 0 | 355 | 0 | ||
18/9/2012 | Haris | Abu Dras | 300 | ||
28/11/2012 | Deir Ballout | Iraq al Tout | 30 | ||
28/11/2012 | Deir Ballout | Iraq al Tout | 25 | ||
Qalqiliyya | 0 | 45 | 200 | ||
12/10/2012 | Kafr Kaddum | Khalayel abu Mjed, Awdala | |||
Jinsafut | Wad al Sharqi, Harayeq Salem, Wadi Khaled | ||||
Total | 33 | 1900 | 250 | ||
2183 | |||||
*source: field Observations, Monitoring Israeli Human Rights Unit – LRC
Table 2: colonists aggressions during the 2012 olive picking season:
No. | Date | Governorate | Location | Inflicted damage |
1 | 18/9/2012 | Salfit | Haris | Expelling farmers from their fields |
2 | 6/10/2012 | Qalqiliyya | Kafr Kaddum | An attempt to steal olive crops, the Israeli Occupation Army declared the area a closed military zone soon afterwards |
3 | 6/10/2012 | Hebron | Yatta | Colonists attacked a number of Palestinian farmers |
4 | 6/10/2012 | Ramallah | Ras Karkar | Attacking farmers while picking olives |
5 | 7/10/2012 | Ramallah | Bitillo | Colonists attacked three Palestinian families and detained them for a while before releasing them |
6 | 9/10/2012 | Nablus | Urif | Stealing crops |
7 | 10/10/2012 | Ramallah | Mughayyir, Jabal al Amwat | Cutting 71 olive trees |
8 | 10/10/2012 | Qaqiliyya | Far’atta | Stealing over 100 kg of olives |
9 | 10/10/2012 | Jenin | Jalboun (behind the segregation wall) | Stealing crops and preventing farmers from reaching their fields |
10 | 10/10/2012 | Nablus | Burin | Physically abusing farmers |
11 | 11/10/2012 | Hebron | Tal Rmeida | Stealing crops |
12 | 12/10/2012 | Hebron | Tal Rmeida | Attacking a Palestinian family, injuring some of its members |
13 | 12/10/2012 | Qalqiliyya | Kafr Kaddum | Attacking farmers, stealing crops, breaking branches |
14 | 12/10/2012 | Nablus | Burin | Attacking farmers |
15 | 12/10/2012 | Ramallah | Bitillo | Cutting olive trees |
16 | 13/10/2012 | Nablus | Qaryut | Attacking farmers using fire arms and stealing their equipmesnt |
17 | 17/10/2012 | Nablus | Qaryut | Stealing crops |
18 | 17/10/2012 | Nablus | Iraq Burin | Physically abusing a farmer |
19 | 19/10/2012 | Nablus | Buring | Beating a farmer and his wife |
20 | 19/10/2012 | Qaqiliyya | Kafr Kaddum | The Israeli Army declares the village a closed military zone |
21 | 19/10/2012 | Jenin | Jalboun | Impeding Palestinian farmers with rocks |
22 | 20/10/2012 | Nablus | Qaryut, Ras Moyes | Fencing a 10-dunum olive field |
23 | 20/10/2012 | Qalqiliyya | South western side | Preventing farmers from picking olives |
24 | 20/10/2012 | Nablus | Deir al Hatab | Cutting olive trees |
25 | 20/10/2012 | Nablus | Urif | Stealing crops |
26 | 26/10/2012 | Jenin | Yabad | Attacking farmers |
27 | 27/10/2012 | Ramallah | Ras Karkar | A colonists shooting some rounds towards farmers |
28 | 28/10/2012 | Jenin | Yabad | A group of colonists detained 8 Palestinian young men while picking olives |
29 | 1/11/2012 | Qalqiliyya | Jit | Attacking farmers |
30 | 3/11/2012 | Nablus | Urif | Attacking farmers before the intervention of the Israeli troops which arrested a Palestinian |
31 | 6/11/2012 | Nablus | Burin | Setting 7 dunums of olive fields alight |
32 | 9/11/2012 | Qalqiliyya | Jinsafut | Soaking 55 dunums of olive fields with sewage |
33 | 21/11/2012 | Nablus | Huwwara, Al Lahf | Attacking farmers before handing them to the Israeli forces |
34 | 22/11/2012 | Ramallah | Al Mazra al Qibliyya | Preventing farmers from picking olives |
35 | 24/11/2012 | Ramallah | Al Janiya | Stealing crops |
*source: field Observations, Monitoring Israeli Human Rights Unit – LRC
Table 3: aggressions during the olive picking season – by governorate:
Governorate | Aggressions | Damaged trees |
Hebron | 13 | 446 |
Bethlehem | 5 | 390 |
Ramallah | 19 | 375 |
Nablus | 24 | 427 |
Salfit | 2 | 300 |
Qalqiliyya | 9 | 245 |
Jenin | 4 | 0 |
Total | 76 | 2183 |
*source: Monitoring Israeli Human Rights Unit – LRC
Table 4: perpetrators:
No. | Perpetrators | aggressions |
1 | The Israeli Occupation Army | 6 |
2 | Colonists of Yizhar | 16 |
3 | Colonists of Talmoun, Zeit Ranan, Neriya | 7 |
4 | Colonists of Nahliel | 4 |
5 | Colonists of Shivut Rachel, Adi Ad, and Yish Kudish | 5 |
6 | Colonists of Talmoun | 3 |
7 | Colonists of Kfar Tipuah | 3 |
8 | Colonists of Eli and Ras Moyes | 4 |
9 | Colonists of Kadummim | 3 |
10 | Colonists of Afrat | 2 |
11 | Colonists of Neve Daniel | 2 |
12 | Colonists of Neve Oranim and Gilad Zohar | 2 |
13 | Colonists of Jalbo’ | 2 |
14 | Colonists of Shiar Benjamin and Migron | 2 |
15 | Colonists of Ramat Yishai | 2 |
16 | Colonists of Mevo Dotan | 2 |
17 | Colonists of Alone Moreh | 2 |
18 | Colonists of Revava | 2 |
19 | Colonists of Emmanuel | 2 |
20 | Colonists of Bitar Elit | 1 |
21 | Colonists of Maon | 1 |
22 | Colonists of Baracha | 1 |
23 | Colonists if Beit Ein | 1 |
24 | Colonists of Karmael | 1 |
total | 76 | |
*source: Monitoring Israeli Human Rights Unit – LRC
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