Save the Olive Harvest

Project Briefing

**Problem:**
The olive harvest is central to the financial and cultural well-being of Palestinian farmers across the occupied West Bank, and is usually a time of celebration. But in West Bank villages such as Burin, especially in their agricultural lands near Israeli settlements, the annual harvest has been a victim of persistent Israeli settler aggression, including arson and physical assault.
**Take Action:**
(1) **Email Congress** to ask them to make two calls on your behalf to the U.S. State Department and to the Israeli Embassy to protect Palestinian olive farmers and their livelihood.
*(2)* Give to our **Movement to Safeguard Palestinian Communities** fund. Your contribution will ensure more advocacy can be accomplished on behalf of Palestinian communities at risk.

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Overview

On the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 7th, the very first day of the Palestinian olive harvest, settlers from Yitzhar Settlement launched a violent attack in the olive groves of Huwara village. According to the Israeli Human Rights Group, Yesh Din, Israeli settlers attacked and injured 2 Palestinian farmers and four volunteers. During their escape, the settlers set fire to olive trees on the farmers' lands.

Fact Sheet: Saving the Olive Harvest

Status:

October 17

Israeli settlers today vandalized around 30 olive trees in the northern West Bank village of Qaryout, south of Nablus, as the olive harvest season in Palestine is at its peak. Source

October 14

Lasheem settlers flooded Palestinian olive groves with wastewater. 800 trees damaged.

October 13

Settlers in Oz Zion outpost attacked Ohad Hemo and his team from News 12. The News 12 team was covering confrontations between Palestinian settlers and farmers in the town of Burqa, near Ramallah, where settlers attacked Palestinians, trying to prevent them from picking olives on their lands. Besides throwing stones, the settlers also hit Ohad Hemo’s arm with a cudgel. Source

On this day, settlers also attacked Khalil, a 73 year old farmer, from N’ileen, Ramallah as he was on his land collecting olives.