Palestinian farmers in the West Bank are facing a new level of violence as settler attacks, backed by the Israeli military, intensify. This coordinated effort appears aimed at driving the Palestinians from their land to pave the way for Israeli plans in a continuation of aggressive policies.

With the year-long escalation in hostilities, Palestinian farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to access their land and harvest their olives due attacks by Israeli settlers and the Israeli military. What was once a season of blessings, community, and harvest has become one of fear, with olive trees uprooted, burned, and destroyed.

This year’s harvest season is marked by fear for those who choose to go to their land, especially in Area C under the 1995 Oslo Accords, where security and administrative control are held by the Israeli Occupation Authorities. Palestinian farmers in these areas are often restricted or outright barred from reaching their land.

The Israeli settlers have introduced new tactics to prevent Palestinian farmers from accessing their fields, including damaging or burning vehicles parked near olive groves. The farmers now face the dilemma of guarding their vehicles or risking the theft of their olives by the settlers, often protected by Israeli soldiers and brandishing weapons.

The worst of this year’s attacks on olive harvesters occurred in the northern West Bank, particularly in the olive-rich villages around Nablus, and in the Masafer Yatta area of Hebron in the south. Hundreds of incidents have been documented, including settler theft of livestock, vehicle arson, and tree destruction.

In Masafer Yatta, settler assaults have seen olives stolen directly from Palestinian farmers, often by force. Palestinian commentator Osama Makhamra reported that settler violence has worsened during this harvest season. He recounted the assault on a local farmer, Hassan Shanaran, who was attacked while herding his livestock near the village of Susya, and the theft of olives from the Nawaja family’s land.

Makhamra explained that the Israeli authorities have barred Palestinian farmers from harvesting olives across large areas of Masafer Yatta, citing their proximity to Israeli settlements or designation as closed military zones, with stolen olives then benefiting the settlers.

This year, Palestinian farmers have lost access to approximately 80,000 dunams of olive groves due to settler violence backed by the Israeli military. The economic impact is substantial, with Hebron alone projected to lose nearly 15 per cent of its olive harvest.

In Bethlehem, Israeli settlers have conducted numerous raids on Palestinian farms, stealing olives and forcibly expelling farmers from their land in villages like Wadi Rahal and Umm Salamuna. The Israeli authorities have also restricted farmers from accessing their lands west of Bethlehem.

Farmer Mohamed Musa Zreineh from Beit Jala, whose land is now trapped behind the Israeli Separation Wall in Wadi Ahmed, fears for his family’s safety near the wall and military towers. Zreineh expressed his reluctance to have his young sons join him in harvesting his olives, even within the separation zone, fearing for their safety in the volatile environment.

Zreineh told Al-Ahram Weekly that what was once a joyous season filled with traditional songs and family gatherings around wood-fired meals has turned into a time of terror. The olive harvest, a cultural and economic lifeline, is now overshadowed by fears of violence, theft, and destruction.

In an effort to counter and resist the settler violence, Palestinians have launched national campaigns this olive harvest season to support the farmers in reaching their land. Among these is the “Fazaa” campaign, a term rooted in Palestinian agrarian culture meaning collective support, with the goal of rallying hundreds of Palestinians to aid farmers in areas most affected by Israeli settler and military aggression.

The Fazaa campaign, led by the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, has drawn participation from ministers, government officials, representatives from various sectors, and popular committees dedicated to resisting the Israeli settlements. Foreign activists and Israeli supporters of Palestinian rights have also joined in a broad public and popular effort to help farmers pick olives and cultivate their land.

Palestinian Minister of Agriculture Rizeq Slimiya described the Fazaa initiative as a tradition of Palestinian solidarity and national unity, with the campaign named to reflect these values.

Speaking at its launch, he said that “the Fazaa campaign is supported by the prime minister’s office for its profound positive impact on the olive harvest and the resilience of Palestinian farmers, offering a peaceful, popular way to counter settler actions and protect the farmers and their land, underscoring their Palestinian identity.”

Last year, Palestinian farmers were barred from reaching 100,000 dunams of olive groves, leading to losses valued in millions of dollars. In response, the Palestinian government and community also launched the Fazaa initiative, which enabled access to the land and allowed for the harvesting of olives, thanks to collaboration with governmental bodies, local organisations, and international volunteers.

Tragically, several volunteers have faced Israeli settler attacks, and recently, a Turkish-American activist was killed while participating in efforts to protect Palestinian farmers and their lands.

VIOLENCE: Minister in the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) Committee Against the Wall and Settlements Moayyad Shaaban highlighted the widespread Israeli settler violence affecting all West Bank villages, including Qusra, Al-Lubban, Masafer Yatta, Sahel Ramin, Kafr Al-Labad, and Umm Safa.

 These coordinated attacks by settlers and the Israeli army aim to seize Palestinian land and undermine traditional ownership. Shaaban explained that “we are standing here today in the village of Burqa and all affected villages to challenge Israeli policies that aim to seize tens of thousands of dunams of land.”

He added that Israeli forces had attacked him and other participants in the Fazaa initiative in Burqa, forcing them to leave lands that farmers could not access last year. “Despite threats and the violence of the Israeli settlers and the military, Fazaa remains committed to reaching every corner of Palestinian land,” he affirmed.

The Fazaa campaign’s goal is to protect citizens in the most vulnerable areas, offering them assistance in reaching lands blocked by settlers. “The campaign aims to thwart occupation strategies that target this national season deeply rooted in Palestinian identity,” Shaaban emphasised.

The collective Palestinian effort encompassing farmers, government and civic institutions, popular resistance committees, and human rights activists gathered in Burqa and is united in their determination to continue harvesting olives and resisting settler aggression.

European ambassadors, Western diplomats, and representatives from Arab nations have closely monitored escalating Israeli settler and Israeli military aggression against Palestinian citizens.

On multiple occasions, they have voiced strong condemnation of these actions, urging the Israeli government to take legal action against the violent settlers. This olive harvest season has offered a powerful opportunity for these diplomats to demonstrate their rejection of Israeli settler policies through solidarity campaigns in several Palestinian villages over the past month.

During a recent olive-picking event in the village of Kafr Ni’ma, European ambassadors expressed their support for Palestinian farmers in the face of increased attacks.

“We are here to assist Palestinian farmers after witnessing the destruction and burning of over 600 olive trees since the beginning of October across 15 Palestinian villages and communities,” one ambassador stated.

United Nations data, compiled by Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), has documented 51 separate attacks on Palestinian farmers and their property in this period alone, alongside restrictions barring farmers from their land. The European Union has reiterated its call for the protection of Palestinian farmers and an end to the attacks, urging legal accountability for those responsible.

One of the ambassadors participating in the olive harvest remarked that “our presence here is a statement against the practices of settlers under military protection. We stand on this land today to send a message of support to Palestinian farmers and to emphasise our nations’ opposition to the actions of the Israeli settlers.”

Munther Amira, an activist in the Popular Resistance Committees and an advocate for farmers’ rights, emphasised the purpose behind this year’s Fazaa campaign, which includes active government support.

“The aim of Fazaa is to support Palestinians, particularly farmers, to preserve their land, reinforce their resilience amidst difficult conditions, and protect the olive trees, a sacred symbol for Palestinians,” he explained.

The campaign’s goal is to mobilise a spirit of unity and determination, helping farmers maximise their access to the lands they own during the olive harvest. While Amira expressed appreciation for the diplomats’ presence, he called on foreign embassies to push their governments to take punitive steps that apply real pressure on both Israeli settlers and soldiers to halt their daily acts of violence.

In comments to the Weekly, Amira added that “we value these solidarity efforts from foreign diplomats, but Palestinians hope to see concrete action from their countries to hold Israel accountable.”

“The Palestinian people feel isolated — whether as a result of facing war crimes in Gaza, home demolitions, displacement, or settler and military assaults in the West Bank. Palestinians are subject to physical and psychological suffering under Israel’s racist policies led by an extremist government and its ministers.”

The Palestinian message, he said, remains one of resilience and rootedness in the land, urging the international community to stand meaningfully with Palestinian rights through accountability measures against the Israeli settlers and the Israeli government, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 11 July, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly