Bethlehem / West Bank /PNN/ Monjed Jadou

Palestinian students, volunteers and officials gathered in the historic village of Battir, west of Bethlehem, to launch the 2026 national olive harvest campaign, joining farmers in the fields to help collect their crops and support families whose livelihoods depend on the annual harvest.

The campaign brought together the Students’ Forum, through its Youth Incubator project, representatives of the Bethlehem Governorate Emergency Committee, Battir Municipality and the Coordinating Committee for Resistance to the Wall and Settlements. Their participation aimed to help farmers harvest their olives, strengthen their resilience and reinforce their ability to remain on their land.

The initiative comes as Palestinian farmers face mounting obstacles during the olive season, including restricted access to agricultural land, rising settler attacks, crop theft and the burning of trees. For many, the harvest is not only a vital source of income but also a deeply rooted expression of Palestinian heritage and connection to the land.

Akram Bader, mayor of Battir, said the participation of official institutions, civil society organisations, students and volunteers reflected solidarity among Palestinians and provided meaningful support to farmers determined to remain on their land.

He said the strong turnout brought joy and pride to Battir’s residents, demonstrating Palestinian unity and mutual support in difficult circumstances. Whenever one community faces hardship, he added, Palestinians come together to help one another.

Bader said the olive harvest campaign carried a national message affirming Palestinians’ right to their land and reinforcing farmers’ resolve in the face of ongoing challenges.

He stressed that Palestinians remained committed to their land despite difficulties, arrests and harassment, saying they would continue to protect it regardless of the circumstances.

## A harvest carrying historical significance

Mohammad Jaafari, director-general of public affairs at the Bethlehem Governorate, attended on behalf of Governor Mohammad Taha Abu Alia. He described the launch of this year’s olive harvest in Battir as an important moment for Palestinian farmers and an opportunity to renew their connection to their land and agricultural heritage.

The olive tree, Jaafari said, holds a special place in Palestinian life, while Battir’s historical significance and archaeological sites, which date back thousands of years, give the campaign’s launch there added meaning.

He said the sight of volunteers working alongside farmers brought happiness and reflected a spirit of solidarity with the community, known for its agricultural traditions and produce, particularly olives and grapes.

Jaafari, who also coordinates the Bethlehem Governorate Emergency Committee, said the harvest began after years in which Palestinians had faced serious difficulties reaching their agricultural land in Bethlehem and other areas.

Seeing farmers and volunteers gathering olives peacefully in Battir offered a source of hope and encouragement, he said. He expressed hope that the atmosphere of solidarity would spread to farmers throughout Bethlehem and across the Palestinian territories, strengthening their determination to remain on their land and sustain their agricultural livelihoods.

Olive trees remain a symbol of identity and belonging

Munther Amira, head of the Coordinating Committee for Resistance to the Wall and Settlements, described the olive tree as a symbol of the Palestinian people, representing solidarity, affection and a deep-rooted connection to the land.

He said the challenges and attacks facing Palestinians had only strengthened their attachment to the olive tree, which has become more than a source of income or a feature of the landscape. It is also a symbol of national identity and Palestinian history.

Palestinians, Amira said, had paid a heavy price to protect their land and trees, through the sacrifices of younger generations and the labour of their ancestors. He stressed that they would not abandon their olive trees or their land, which remain an integral part of their national identity and belonging.

Mohammad al-Badan, a board member of the Students’ Forum, said the organisation had joined other institutions and volunteer groups in Bethlehem for the first activities of the 2026 national olive harvest campaign in Battir.

He said the participation of people from across Palestinian society was particularly important given the complex security and political conditions facing Palestinians.

Al-Badan warned that persistent settler attacks and attempts to steal crops were adding to the difficulties farmers face during the season. He called for greater coordination among institutions, community groups and volunteers to support farmers in the fields.

He described the olive harvest as one of the most significant cultural, heritage and national occasions for Palestinians, reflecting the close relationship between the olive tree, the land and Palestinian identity.

Volunteers offer support — and a measure of reassurance

Amira Aqabneh, a community activist from Bethlehem, said she had joined the campaign to stand alongside Palestinian farmers working on land threatened by settler activity.

She said the presence of volunteers was intended to support farmers and affirm their right to reach their land, harvest their olives and remain rooted in their communities.

But behind the scenes of collective work and solidarity, farmers described the difficulties they continue to face in reaching and maintaining their land.

Mahmoud Hussein, a farmer from Battir, said farmers struggled to access their olive groves and harvest their crops amid increasing settler attacks and theft. He said many could not reach their land to plough it, maintain the trees or collect the olives, leaving them vulnerable to further losses.

Hussein also pointed to the economic hardship and unemployment affecting many farmers, saying they often felt that little attention was being paid to their suffering or the assistance they needed.

Despite the obstacles, he said he would not give up his land.

“This is sacred land. I would die beneath an olive tree rather than leave it. My ancestors planted these trees, and I will not accept a stranger coming and taking them from me,” he said.

For another farmer, known as Um Mohammad, the campaign offered something she had struggled to find: a greater sense of security in reaching her land.

She said her family owns a plot near a settlement outpost in Battir, where around 40 olive trees remained unharvested because of fears of settler attacks. She tries to visit the land from time to time to check its condition, plough it and cultivate it, while hoping to find assistance that would allow her to harvest the olives safely.

A harvest under threat

Students and volunteers continued helping farmers collect olives, seeking to ease the burden of the season and reinforce their ability to remain on their land.

Amira Salah, a student at Al-Quds Open University and a volunteer with the Students’ Forum, said her participation was an expression of solidarity with Palestinian farmers. She said volunteers were committed to helping with the harvest and demonstrating their support for farmers determined to protect their land.

Other farmers in Battir described continuing difficulties accessing their groves, as attacks, crop theft and the burning of olive trees threaten both their livelihoods and the future of their agricultural land.

Um Mohammad said conditions had become extremely difficult for families whose land lies near settlements and who face attacks on their fields and trees.

She said her family had managed to reach some of its land and found that some olives had been harvested, but they had been unable to collect the entire crop. She added that settlers had stolen olives and that attacks extended beyond the fruit to damaging and burning the trees themselves.

She expressed hope that farmers would eventually be able to work their land without fear and that their long-running hardship would come to an end.

For Battir’s farmers, the olive harvest is therefore about far more than collecting a season’s crop. It is a struggle to protect livelihoods, preserve generations of agricultural heritage and maintain access to land that families say they cannot afford to abandon. The volunteers’ presence offers practical assistance and a visible show of solidarity, even as the challenges facing farmers remain.