Holy Land: Five injured standing for justice - call for support and volunteers

Masked settlers wielding stones and clubs. Photo by Liora Binyamin.

Source: Rabbis for Human Rights

Rabbis For Human Rights report:

They came with clubs, pepper spray, and stones.

What happened to our volunteers in Jenata has become routine for the Palestinian residents of the town.

One of our partners in Jenata has stayed away from his field for far longer than he would have liked, because it sits in the valley right below an agricultural outpost farm. Arriving there alone would be too dangerous, for the settlers can descend the hill before there's enough time to leave.

He has seen the olives fattening on trees around the village, and he won't give up on the plot his ancestors left him to steward.

He made a small request of us: would we accompany him to the grove to prepare the trees so they would be ready to harvest?

For us, answering the call wasn't a question; we are commanded: "Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbour" (Leviticus 19:16). We partnered with Standing Together and Bnei Avraham to bring dozens of volunteers.

Within ten minutes of entering the groves, a gang of thugs concealing their identities with full face masks descended on our volunteers with clubs, pepper spray, and stones. They picked off individuals from the group, tackled them to the ground, and beat them before retreating to their settlement. Our medic treated five bloodied victims while they waited for an ambulance to take them to the nearby hospital. We reported the incident to the police, but when they arrived, it was our Palestinian partner who was intimidated by them. The most likely outcome of the report is that it will join the long list of documentation witnessing the corruption and moral crookedness of those dispatched to safeguard the victims, not shield the perpetrator from being prosecuted.

What happened to our volunteers in Jenata may be picked up by mainstream media because Israelis were injured, yet it is the daily reality for our Palestinian partners. They are subject to the unending cruelty of settler terrorists and still choose to stay on their land to tend and harvest their crops. They are not going anywhere, and we will continue to stand beside them as long as they call on us.

The Harvest in on High Alert - Stand with Palestinian Farmers Today.

Donate here: https://causematch.com/olive_harvest_26?

You are invited to the Olive Harvest

Picking begins in the olive groves in under a month. Palestinian farmers are requesting your presence.

This harvest, communities across the West Bank have asked us to stand with them in the groves, and over 350 international volunteers have already signed up. Volunteers can sign up to accompany farmers any day from Sunday through Friday, from October 16th through the end of November, so the picking can happen safely. Add your name to receive the details as they come together: harvest days, transportation, and logistics HERE.