Olives
Work in progress.
Olive groves cover 45% of the West Bank area. 900,000 Dunams which populate over 10 million olive trees. 80-100 thousand families financially rely on the olive oil industry. The olive tree, the symbol of peace, is a Palestinian economic vein and a national symbol of identity and resistance.
The geopolitical conflict and Israeli occupation are based on land access and land usage. The Ottoman land laws which are still in force determine that when an agricultural ground isn’t cultivated for serval years - it is declared back as state land and no longer belongs to its owner. Using this tool, Israel annexed since 67 to current days over 350,000 Dunams in the West Bank.
Therefore, reaching the olive trees and maintaining the land isn’t just an agricultural mission - but an act of deep devotion with vast implications.
Olive harvest season in Palestine, between October and November, is traditionally characterized by high tension. Palestinian farmers are forbidden from accessing olive groves in proximity to Jewish settlements (which are expanding year after year), except for a few days a year during harvest season - after being given a land access permit. Over the years, less and less land access permits are given to Palestinians, In 2020, only 24% were approved. As land becomes forcibly abandoned, it becomes an opportunity for Israel to expand its land.
Jewish settlers' harassment and vandalism are functioning as an accelerator for this process. Trees are been burned or uprooted frequently by settlers. According to the ICRC, between Aug 2020 to Aug 2021 over 9300 olive trees were uprooted or burned. During Harvest season settlers' violent harassment against Palestinians who harvest groves nearby Jewish outposts occur constantly, making many Palestinian to leave their lands.
Clashes in Beita's Olive Groves
IDF soldiers enter an olive grove on the outskirts of the Palestinian village of Beita. Black smoke rises from Beita’s residents' weekly protest. The protests began in May 2021, following the annexation of Olive groves by Jewish settlers who built an illegal outpost called “Eviatar” on the hill - Jabel Sabih, destroying the trees during the construction. Months afterwards the settlers were prevented access, but the IDF keeps guarding the facility. Each week since then, Beita’s villagers protest against the annexation. Many of them were injured, in addition to 7 casualties from IDF live armoury.
Samara family banned from their Grove
The Samara family from the village of Bruqin owns an olive grove, which the grandparents had planted in the 80’ on their privately owned lands. The land is visible from their house - though they are restricted from accessing it.
Until the early 90’ the hill on which the grove is located was covered with the village olive plantation. Today, the Jewish settlement of Bruchin is built over it. Since the 90’ and following the second Intifada the access to the grove was forbidden due to military presence guarding Bruchin in its early days as an illegal outpost.
In 2014 Bruchin was validated by the Israeli government, and a master plan was authorized. During this process the Samara family appealed, proving their historical private ownership over plot 1060 in Bruchin. The appeal was accepted, their land became an agricultural enclave within the plan area, allowing the family unrestricted access by law.
In the last two years although the family received land access permits - they were prevented from reaching their land.
Palestinian under boot of Israeli Soldier
IDF soldiers step on the back of Palestinian activist Mohammed al-Khatib during olive harvest season. Khatib is one of the founders of “Faza”, which means” reinforcement“ - an organization that aids communities during harvest season. Israel Defence Forces soldiers prevent Palestinians and activists from reaching their olive plantations during harvest season. The plantation on the outskirts of the town of Salfit was annexed in the last year to a new Jewish outpost - “Nof Avi’s farm”, although Palestinians hold land deeds for the land. During an attempt to break the white line zoning a closed military zone in the plantations, the army used stun grenades and arrested three activists - Khatib and two Jewish men. Khatib was taken out from the field handcuffed and blindfolded.
A Palestinian man harvests his olive tree in the village of Burin.
Young settlers kids play on a sand pile covering an olive tree in Tapuah junction, during an event of “Eviatar” Yeshiva nearby Jabel Sabih. The construction of new roads and their expansion within the West Bank is usually made by the annexation of Palestinian agricultural private grounds.
An IDF officer asks Palestinian farmers from Burin and an Israeli Jewish peace activist to take 1 meter backwards, as they choose a place to plant a young olive tree on their own land.
The village of Burin suffers from harassment by settlers from the nearby illegal outpost of Givat Ronen. On Jan 21 2022 , settlers attacked with stones and clubs Israeli peace activists who assisted the Palestinian villagers to access their land. As a response - hundreds of Israeli peace activists arrived in Burin on Fab 04th to plant new Olive trees on the Palestinian land below the outpost. A few days later, the trees were plugged out of the soil by Jewish settlers.
Purchased olives and olive oil at Samara’s family house in Bruqin. The olive harvest season supplies Palestinian households for an year, while olives are a basic ingridient in the local culture and cuisine. During this meal the family tried to contact Itzik, the Israeli DCL officer by phone. Eventually the family was denied, and requested to reach the district Israeli DCL office in Kalkilia - a 50 minutes drive.
Itzik’s Office
After prevented access to his land, Raed Samara was told to go and speak with Itzik in the Qalqilya District Civil Liaison Offices at Eyal checkpoint. The checkpoint is the main barrier for Palestinian workers to cross from the centre of the West Bank to their daily work in Israel. We entered the checkpoint with Raed Samara for his meeting with Itzik. Entrance requires security scanning. Last picture taken before entering the photography forbidden area. Raed was allowed only by himself to enter the Itzik’s office. When we went outside, he said:
“He (Itzik) told me it was not my land, that I was confused. That my land is somewhere else. I told him this is my land, I worked on it from '80 with my father, with the family, my grandfather was also there, worked there. I have no land, only this is my land…He said his computer was broken, and that I'll get back to him on Thursday, and show me where my land is”.
The long way Home
Hisham Abu Ali and his nephew Rihan ridden on their mules, bringing their harvested olives back home along the separation wall which enclaves the Palestinian village of Al-Walaje.
Al-Walaje is an agricultural Palestinian village, on the border of the West Bank and the city of Jerusalem. Before 1948 the village held over 17,000 dunams - most of the ground was annexed to Israel since then. The village is divided into three sections (B, C and Jerusalem municipality grounds) and enclaved by the separation barrier - placing most of the agricultural grounds behind the wall, within the jurisdiction of Jerusalem municipality.
The local community preserves ancient permaculture techniques to grow their crops and olive groves. Unable to reach their groves with a vehicle, the locals use their mules to carry the olives - making what used to be a 10 minute walk before the barrier construction into an hour ride, crossing into the village through an incomplete section of the fence. Though and long, yet possible - this reality is about to change. Current new plans for a new Jewish outpost next to Al-Walaje will block the gap in the barrier, locking Al-Walaje completely behind the wall - preventing the locals from reaching the little agricultural round that is still left for good.
Settlers pray outside “Eviatar” in Jabel Sabih remained olive tress
Although settlers were prevented access into Eviatar, which is currently used as an army base - groups of settlers still reach the hill before Shabbat enters in order to pray next to Eviatar’s gate.
Burned
Burned Olive trees on Burin lands which were set on fire by Jewish settlers from Givát Ronen. These hate crimes occur on a daily basis in the West Bank. According to the ICRC, between Aug 2020 to Aug 2021 over 9300 olive trees were uprooted or burned in the West Bank by Jewish settlers.
Hill boys
An IDF soldier stands next to settlers youth from the illegal outpost of Givat Ronen, located above the Palestinian village of Burin. Often, the Jewish hil youth vandalizes the Palestinian olive groves below the settlement.
Maps and land ownership deeds of the Samara’s in plot 1060 in Bruchin, which is marked on the map with X. In 2014 the plot was defined as a private agricultural enclave, outside Bruchins jurisdiction area. The master plan determined that the owners should have unrestricted access to the privately owned plot, and would be fenced to prevent the public from entering. In practice, the family is expelled from their land, while the plot is in use of the Jewish settlement.
Moment of anxiety while IDF’s stun granades explode next to Palestinians who try to reach an olive grove during harvest season at the outskirts of Salfit.
Mustafa plows the Olive grove among the terraces manually using his donkey.
He accesses the land through the open south-eastern side of the separation wall. Current new plans for a new Jewish outpost next to Al-Walaje will block the gap in the barrier, locking Al-Walaje completely behind the wall - preventing the locals Falahs from reaching the little agricultural round that is still left for good.
Sumud
Sumud, or "steadfastness", is a Palestinian cultural value of rootedness in the land. The olive tree perhaps best resemble it. "Without our olive trees we feel like paper blowing in the wind... The olive tree is the land. If you live in a place for twenty, thirty years, you feel it in your chest. In your body. We even get our shape from our trees."
A merchant from Jenin
Akram, a Palestinian farmer from Burin at the end of an olive harvest day. In 2021 settlers from Yitzhar outpost had burned over 80 of his trees which are found nearby the settlement.
Olive vendors sell their fresh harvest yield at the entrance to Qalqilia at October.
Olive groves surrounding a Palestinian village, a typical manmade landscape of Palestine.