Press Releases

6 November 2012, Bethlehem, Palestine. BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights organized, in collaboration with a number of civil society organizations, a volunteering olive-picking day in support of Palestinian farmers in areas that are threatened of displacement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

On 2 November 2012, over 150 volunteers, most of whom come from Bethlehem and Hebron, as well as internationals, participated in this activity in Wadi Fukin village, West of Bethlehem. This village was chosen due to the systematic expansion of the surrounding colonies recently – particularly the adjacent Bitar Elit, which is also built on the lands of Husan village. In addition to expansion, Palestinian farmers are subject to increasing violence of the colonizers, who aim to prevent them from farming their lands and harvesting their crops.

Within the same program, BADIL organized a parallel olive-picking activity in Khuz'a village in the Gaza Strip with the participation of 60 volunteers. This village was chosen especially because it is subject to continuous Israeli invasions and attacks on the lands.

The olive-picking volunteering day in both the West Bank and Gaza Strip had profound effect on the farmers who appreciated this help and boost to their morale in facing continuous Israeli systematic displacement.