Israeli Forces Suppress Palestinian Olive Harvest Amid Settler Violence

Following an attack on Washington Post journalist Heidi Levine and European diplomats, Israeli authorities have reportedly shifted their focus from settler violence to restricting Palestinian farmers and activists from reaching olive groves. Less than a week after the incident, the military and police appear to be employing a strategy of preventing harvests to avoid attacks, effectively stating, "If there are no harvesters to attack, then there are no attacks."

While about ten suspects were arrested following the attack on Levine and diplomats, with vehicles confiscated and outposts demolished, nine of those arrested were subsequently released. Meanwhile, the primary actions are now directed against Palestinian farmers and their accompanying activists. This approach aligns with a theory promoted by settlers and right-wing elements, which frames settler violence not as aggression but as a reaction to "provocation" by solidarity activists and those documenting events.

In the village of Dier Jarir, a closed military zone order prevented Palestinian farmers and activists from reaching the olive harvest after settlers incited against the gathering. Similar orders were issued in Turmusayya, where activists had relocated. Throughout these actions, settlers and right-wing activists stood alongside police and soldiers without intervention.

Activist and independent journalist Andrei Ix, who documented the attack on Levine, was arrested in Taybeh under an arrest warrant. Although presented with various suspicions, he was released without being banned from the West Bank, fueling speculation that the arrest was politically motivated to appease right-wing activists demanding his administrative detention. Activist Yonatan Pollack was also arrested at a harvest last week, but a judge rejected the police's request for his removal from the area.

In Nahalin, near Bethlehem, police arrested approximately 80 activists, many of them international, including a candidate for the US Congress and rabbis. The detainees were taken to a police station in Beitar Illit, with foreign nationals likely to be deported. Despite the harvest not requiring coordination and an agreement to evacuate if requested by the army, the military cited the need for coordination to "ensure security and public order," stating that only harvesters would be allowed access to fulfill their purpose.

Furthermore, in Abu Falah and nearby villages, army forces have occupied homes, informing residents they would stay for two weeks and patrolling the area in armored personnel carriers. This pattern of military and police activity, where forces are mobilized when international pressure or media attention rises but primarily act against Palestinians on the ground, has been observed before. The article suggests that the government has previously used settler violence incidents that gain headlines to intensify actions against Palestinians, citing a special budget allocated to "hilltop youth" after a series of attacks. The organized military and police operations, involving both official and unofficial militias, are seen as a continuation of a pattern where settlers have often instigated the army to expel Palestinians or have attacked them while the army was absent. The article concludes that despite arrests, deportations, and claims of "organized provocation," the fundamental issue remains the attacks themselves, not the presence of those attending the harvest.