PNGO Calls for the Protection of the Olive Harvest Season and for the Collective Action to Support Farmers

PNGO Calls for the Protection of the Olive Harvest Season and for the Collective Action to Support Farmers
The Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO) raises the alarm over the serious escalation in racist incitement and attacks by the occupying forces and settlers across the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).  These attacks have reached unprecedented levels in both scale and geographical scope and constitute grave violations of international law.
PNGO’s Agricultural Sector considers the measures and announced plans targeting the upcoming season of olive harvest to be part of a broader process aimed at tightening control over Palestinian land. This comes alongside preparations for the Israeli elections scheduled for the end of October.
The olive harvest is a vital pillar of the Palestinian economy and a primary source of income and livelihood for Palestinian families. It also carried profound historical and cultural significance. More than 100,000 Palestinian families depend, either partially or entirely, on the olive harvest. Despite the severe economic and social conditions facing Palestinian society, this year requires strengthened collective action and mobilization to protect farmers and ensure the harvest can take place.
To protect the olive harvest from imminent threats, PNGO calls for:

• Challenge restrictions imposed by the occupying forces and settlers and rejecting measures that prevent farmers from accessing their land, including areas referred to as “state lands”. Such restrictions could prevent access to up to 90% of agricultural land, while access to other areas under the Oslo classifications of Areas A, B and C may require permits issued by the “Israeli Civil Administration”

• Mobilizing national, community and civil society resources to support the harvest through a unified coordination mechanism involving the Palestinian Authority, universities, civil society organizations, village and municipal councils, and the private sector. PNGO also calls for the declaration of a National Day in Support of Palestinian Farmers, particularly in areas facing repeated attacks by the occupying forces and settlers, enabling people to travel to and support affected rural communities.

• Reviving the traditional system of “Awneh” (Voluntary community work) and organizing collective teams to support the farmers in high-risk areas. This should be based on clear mapping of vulnerable locations and coordinated priorities, with villages and towns provided with the necessary equipment, supplies and logistical support.

• Calling on the United Nations, international institutions and human rights organizations to establish field-based teams to accompany farmers, document attacks and violations by settlers, and publicly report on these violations. PNGO further calls for international action to ensure accountability for the occupying power and those responsible for such crimes.

• Protecting international actors and volunteers supporting Palestinian farmers. PNGO and its Agricultural Sector recognize and appreciate the efforts of international actors and volunteers who have travelled to the oPt to support farmers. Their protection should form part of meaningful measures to provide international protection to the Palestinian people and ensure respect for international law and accountability for war crimes, including genocide and ethnic cleansing.
The olive harvest is far more than an agricultural season.  It represents a deeply rooted and enduring bond between the Palestinian people and their land - a relationship facing systematic attempts to undermine the continued Palestinian presence on and connection to the land.
PNGO therefore calls on all stakeholders to uphold their shared responsibility to protect the olive harvest and prevent it from becoming another season of violence and bloodshed through broad community mobilization, solidarity and coordinated collective action.
Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO)