I had the honour and privilege of harvesting olives alongside my dear friend Monica & her neighbor Franco. Like many of the other olive & caper farmers here Franco has been a farmer since the day he’s born. His family have been Stewards of the land in Sicily for secoli (centuries) as old as his olive trees. He tells me his olive trees are life & he will keep caring for them with his old hands until he can no longer because they symbolize peace & resistance ❤️
Globally olive trees are ancient, passed down through generations they holds deep national and cultural significance. Likewise for Palestinians olive trees symbolize their connection to the land. Attacks on the trees are therefore seen as an attempt to sever that bond and erase Palestinian identity.
Since 1967, and as recent as today ! Israeli forces and settlers have destroyed over one million olive trees, according to human rights groups The destruction of olive trees and intimidation of farmers violate international human rights and humanitarian laws, which protect civilian property and livelihood during occupation. United Nations bodies have repeatedly called on Israel to protect Palestinian farmers from settler violence and ensure they have safe access to their land. The International Court of Justice has also ruled that the presence of settlements is unlawful and cannot be used to justify discriminatory
International human rights law prohibits the destruction of property indispensable to the survival of the civilian population and the transfer of an occupying power’s population into occupied territory.
These attacks force Palestinian farmers from their land, paving the way for further illegal settlement growth.
You can purchase Palestinian olive oil through local Lebanese & Palestinian stores across the nyc borough’s &
@canaan.palestine@zaytoun_cic
