Israel Army Accused of Aiding Settlers in Disrupting Palestinian Olive Harvest
Translated & summarized from Zman Yisrael by baba
Israeli settlers reportedly attacked Palestinian olive harvesters near 'Aqraba, leading to injuries and the area being declared a closed military zone by the IDF. Palestinian sources allege that Israeli authorities warned against bringing foreign escorts to harvests and threatened cancellations. Similar incidents have occurred in Beta, where soldiers prevented harvesting even with Israeli activists present. The article accuses the army and settlers of collaborating in a policy of ethnic cleansing to hinder Palestinian livelihoods.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian olive harvesters, injuring several and prompting the IDF to declare the area a closed military zone.
- Palestinian sources claim Israeli authorities warned against volunteer escorts and threatened to cancel olive harvests.
- Soldiers reportedly prevented harvesting in Beta, even when Israeli activists were present to assist Palestinians.
- The army is accused of enabling settlers in a policy of ethnic cleansing by disrupting Palestinian livelihoods.
- An activist labels the prevention of civilian livelihoods in occupied territory a war crime, potentially leading to international prosecution.
Israeli settlers, arriving in ATVs near the Palestinian town of 'Aqraba, opened fire on Palestinians harvesting olives, injuring several individuals including a journalist. An IDF force responded to the scene, evacuated the wounded, and declared the area a closed military zone, halting the harvest. According to the military commander, the Palestinian harvesters initiated the attack on the settlers. This incident is part of a pattern where settlers disrupt and attack Palestinian harvests, subsequently claiming to be the victims. The army, described as a rubber stamp for settler actions in the West Bank, has reportedly reinforced these disruptions by issuing closure orders.
Palestinian sources claim that the Israeli Coordination and Liaison Administration warned orchard owners against bringing volunteer escorts, both Israeli and foreign, threatening to cancel all coordinated harvests in the area if they did. This occurs routinely in the West Bank, where settlers invade, threaten, and attack, then complain of being attacked. The army, having become a rubber stamp for settlers in the West Bank, has confirmed this, and a closed military zone order was issued for the area, preventing the continuation of the harvest.
In a separate incident last weekend, Israeli activists attempted to assist with a harvest in the village of Beta. Footage shows military forces and an armed settler arriving with an order declaring the area a closed military zone. Activists explained that harvesting in Area B does not require coordination, but soldiers insisted otherwise. One soldier was recorded telling a Palestinian, "You are forbidden to harvest until all the anarchist Jews leave here." This was reportedly the third time soldiers prevented a harvest that Israeli activists were attending.
The article argues that whether or not volunteer activists are present, the objective is to impede Palestinians' ability to earn a living, characterizing it as a policy of ethnic cleansing. It asserts that the army and settlers are collaborating to prevent Palestinians from making a livelihood, especially since October 7th when Israel canceled many work permits for West Bank laborers. The army is accused of enabling and assisting settlers in their expulsion policy, contrary to its international legal obligation to protect the occupied population. The author, Meir Blaich, an activist with "Looking the Occupation in the Eye," states that preventing civilian populations from earning a living in an occupied territory is a war crime, and both settlers and soldiers could face prosecution at The Hague.
