IDF Condemns Rabbi Lior's Halachic Ruling on Palestinian Olive Harvest

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has expressed strong reservations about a religious ruling issued by Rabbi Dov Lior, a figure associated with the Otzma Yehudit party. A security official told Ynet that the IDF views the ruling with extreme gravity, stating it "encourages violent offenses, theft, incitement, and friction that further inflame the situation on the ground." While Rabbi Lior is a civilian and thus under the jurisdiction of the Israel Police, the military believes relevant authorities should investigate whether his ruling constitutes incitement or encourages theft. Rabbi Lior, a prominent figure in the national religious community and considered part of the hardline stream, issued a ruling permitting settlers to harvest olives from Palestinian groves in the West Bank. This ruling has sparked controversy, particularly amid ongoing clashes during the sensitive olive harvest season. The ruling comes after recent incidents where Jewish individuals allegedly attacked Palestinians attempting to harvest their groves, and a Washington Post journalist. There have also been reports of settlers harvesting olives from land not belonging to them, which a security official previously described to Ynet as criminal acts of theft.

Earlier this week, rabbis from the Gush Etzion Religious Council issued a ruling prohibiting Jews from picking olives from Arab groves near settlements, deeming it forbidden theft unless the owners had given up hope of retrieving their property. They proposed a solution involving secure harvesting by Jewish workers or volunteers, with the yield returned to owners in exchange for covering expenses. Rabbi Lior's ruling, however, contradicted this, stating that harvesting olives from Arab groves is permissible and even meritorious, asserting that the land ultimately belongs to the Jewish people who have never given up hope for it. He argued that Arab owners are considered to have abandoned their produce if they cannot harvest due to security concerns, and have already been sufficiently compensated over the years. Therefore, he concluded, Jews are permitted to harvest these olives, even in distant areas, to assert ownership of the land and fulfill the commandment of conquering the land. He further stated that harvesting olives in the Holy Land is entirely permissible and even has added merit given security dangers posed by Arabs approaching Jewish communities, and that Jews may harvest olives even in areas far from Jewish settlements to publicly demonstrate Jewish ownership and fulfill the commandment of conquering the land.