They Came for Olives, and Found Settlers on the Hill

The olive harvest in the West Bank is meant to be a season of patience and provision, a time when families gather under ancient trees to strip the branches and carry home what the land has given. But this year, as in recent years, the harvest has become something else: a flashpoint, a test of speed against violence, a season of smoke and stones.

Dozens of masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians and journalists on Thursday in farmland near the village of Abu Falah, north of Ramallah. The BBC witnessed one of several attacks, which a local official said injured 12 Palestinians, including four dual Palestinian-American citizens. The UN reported that the past two weeks have seen more attacks by violent Israeli settlers than during the entire harvest season last year.

Among the injured was Heidi Levine, a veteran American photojournalist for The Washington Post. Levine, wearing a flak jacket marked “PRESS,” was beaten by settlers who stole her camera and phone. She described being pushed to the ground and kicked repeatedly. “Luckily, I had my flak jacket and my helmet,” she said. “Otherwise I probably wouldn’t even be here because they just kept kicking me, and kicking me, probably 50 times”.

The Washington Post’s executive editor, Matt Murray, said the newspaper was “outraged by this unwarranted attack on a journalist doing her job” and urged a thorough investigation. A US State Department spokesperson said, “We condemn criminal violence by any party in the West Bank and call for investigations, arrests, and convictions of those responsible”.

Witnesses reported seeing Israeli Defense Forces soldiers fire tear gas at Palestinians after arriving at the scene. The IDF said it would examine “all circumstances surrounding the incident” and stated it “strongly condemns this incident and views any manifestation of violence with utmost severity”.

The olive harvest has long been a period of heightened tension. This year, farmers worked quickly, stripping trees before settlers could attack. In one orchard, three villages came together to harvest as a form of protection. But the tactic failed. As the BBC watched, dozens of settlers dressed in black moved down the hill, setting fire to olive trees. Shouts of panic rose from the farmers as children were told to leave the field.

All Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, and outposts are illegal under Israeli law as well, though many receive state support. At least half a million Israelis live in settlements across the occupied West Bank. Israeli organization Yesh Din reported 170 settler attacks since late September, when the harvest began.

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Sources: BBC News, New York Times, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Washington Post, UN reports