T’ruah rabbis from North America who took part in a solidarity trip to the West Bank from October 19-23 share what they saw and experienced. They went as part of an international effort called Protect the Harvest at the invitation of Palestinian communities. For five days, the group accompanied farmers to their land, picked olives, and provided protective presence in communities facing state-backed settler violence and the threat of ethnic cleansing. They did this work side by side with Rabbis for Human Rights, our colleagues in Israel who are doing this work every day.
The local community, has faced settler harassment and arson. Across the West Bank, since the olive harvest began, Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights organization, has recorded 234 incidents of settler and soldier violence related to the olive harvest (as of October 15).
Our delegation participated because of our Jewish values. Attacks on Palestinian communities in the name of expanding Jewish settlements are a hillul Hashem, a desecration of God’s name, and a violation of our basic values. By showing up here to stand alongside Palestinian communities under attack, we live our Jewish values and sanctify God’s name (kiddush Hashem).
Our group also bore witness to the Israeli government’s destruction of Palestinian communities through evictions, demolitions, and aiding and abetting settler militias — all pieces of a policy of ethnic cleansing.