Fishing boats in harbour in Gaza, Palestine

On 29th October 2008, the 60th anniversary of massacres in the Palestinian villages of Safsaf, al-Dawayima and Kafr Qasim, British activists were aboard the Dignity which sailed into Gaza. The boat which set sail from Cyprus the day before, was the second succesful attempt by the Free Gaza Movement to break the siege of Gaza, which has been imposed since last year. Carrying a contingent of doctors and medicines ,including cough mixtures which are no longer available in Gaza, the activists are set to meet up with fellow activists who have been in Gaza since the first sailing in August 2008.

In the West Bank, a delegation from the Brighton Tubas Region Friendship and Solidarity Group had arrived in the Tubas Region of the Occupied West Bank a week earlier. Reports sent home from the delegation record incidents such as attacks by Settlers, continued land theft, and enforced water shortages. The group which aims to highlight Israeli war crimes against Palestinians in the region, raise awareness about life under occupation and create practical solidarity links between grassroots organisations in Brighton and Tubas region, is currently assisting with the olive harvest at the village of Al Masra.

By travelling to Occupied Palestine, activists have been able to foster links with beleagured communities, to show practical solidarity and to report on the increasingly appalling conditions which go virtually unnoticed in the corporate media. The visits have also played a vital part in the growth of UK based campaigns to show solidarity with Palestinians. Activites amongst such groups in the last month are the Smash Edo Campaign with its Shut ITT demonstration in Brighton, the ongoing blockades of Carmel Agrexco.

links:Free Gaza Movement |News from the Brighton-Tubas Friendship and Solidarity Group in the West Bank|

A Fourth ship arrived to Gaza early this morning. This is the 4th ship to sail from Cyprus and arrive to the shores of Gaza in an attempt to draw a smile and give a hand to thousands of sick and poor Gazans awaiting someone to break the silence, break the siege.

A number of European Parliamentarians boarded the ship along with couple of medical doctors and peace activists.

Olive Tree Harvesting in Palestine during October- November 2008

Harvesting from the tree of life –

Olive picking is a tradition for us Palestinians.  In the “good old days,” we used to look forward to this event.  Each family had many trees around their houses or in a nearby plot of land.    The entire family and all the neighbors would gather for the whole day, some climbing the trees, and some using ladders to reach high branches.  The family would cover the ground with old blankets in order to drop the olives on the blanket and not on the earth. The women and children would help pick up the scattered olives.   The mother of the family cooked and brought the food out to eat under the tree—a real picnic outdoors.

Today, life is much different.   It is a difficult stressful time here now because of the occupation.   The days of picking the olive trees are a concern for many families.   Why?   Because our Palestinian land is now behind fences or the separation wall that Israel is building to imprison us in our own cities.  Construction of the wall has taken much of our green land and has caused the uprooting of many olive trees.  The concern that these Palestinians and I have is that we worry how we are going to get to our land to pick up our olives. To do so, a special permit from Israel is required.  But getting a permit is the least worry.  The main worry is the fear of the settlers who harass the Palestinians while they are picking the harvest from their own olive trees.  These settlers throw stones and beat up the Palestinians, making their life more miserable than it is already is.  These Israeli settlers deprive the Palestinians from a basic right to get to their legally-owned land (now behind the wall) to pick the green and black olives from their own trees.

For the past few years, many of our local organizations have become involved with the International community during our olive picking festival by inviting them to come to Palestine and take part in this very special event.  The internationals come and live with our families here and help them with the olive harvest.  They are here also for the olive farmers protection, seeing with their own eyes the harassment that our farmers face during this activity.  They stand as a shield before the settlers who block the olive farmers’ way and try to stop them from getting to their land.  And, to be honest, sometimes the settlers do not care who is in front of them, for they beat and shoot whenever they feel like it.

The olive tree is a source of life that provides for us in many ways.  When I say it is life, I mean it is part of our survival that begins with the olive tree itself: the oil it produces, some of the branches that are used afterwards to produce beautiful hand made figures sold to the international community who come to visit the Holy Land, and the remaining branches that are used for fire to cook with and to keep us warm.

As a child, I had many good memories of the olive harvesting, and until now I remember how loud my family and I and all the cousins and neighbors used to be –so loud laughing at each other, hitting each other with the olives and having lots of fun.  My daughters do not have the same memories because they know what is going on and they see the reality of the occupation. Sadly, they and the new generation do not have the joy and the fun of picking olives.  They are forced to learn about the surrounding political situation against their will because they live in prison and they have eyes and see the continuation of the building of the separation wall.  They seem to adapt to being imprisoned.

I have shared my memories of our olive harvest with you.    I say to those of you who will read it, “Come, and join us to see the reality for yourselves.  Be the judge of our lives here behind the wall.”

Thank you.

My best wishes,