The olive tree is such a poetically relevant symbol of the people of Palestine...Some olive trees in the region are over 2,000 years old and are nicknamed “Romans” after the ancient occupiers who supervised their planting. Like the Palestinians, olive trees are native to this land. Christians will recognize the Arab word for Palestinians “Filistinis” as the biblical Philistine people that Jesus and many prophets spoke of. Like the Palestinians, these ancient trees have seen the occupation of this land by the Greeks, the Romans, the Egyptians, the Turks, the Ottomans, the French, the British, and now the Zionists...
...Today I visited the town of Jiftlick in the Jordan River Valley. This visit was arranged by Lifesource, a water rights organization, that seeks to improve water access and reclaim water rights for Palestinians. The dryness of this region is already a challenge to farming and daily existence, but it has been made even more complicated by Israeli policy and the Zionist settlements it supports.
...The Jordan River is the western [sic!!! that should eastern] border of the West Bank, and separates occupied Palestine from the country of Jordan...After the 1967 war, Israel began a massive infrastructure project that redirected the Jordan River into what is now Israel. Now 90% of the water that used to flow the original riverbed instead goes southeast through northern Israel and into the industrial regions near Tel Aviv, supporting Israeli economic activity. This has left the aquifers of the region depleted, a situation made worse by Israeli laws that prevent well enhancements...
...The town of Ma’ Sa is near the Green Line, which is the internationally recognized border of Palestine and Israel. Every Zionist settlement in the West bank is illegal according to UN law because an occupying force is not allowed to colonize an occupied territory. Still, they are being built, and the Ku-Foqasam [???] settlement is one of those illegal settlements...
...Tomorrow I will meet with the “Stop The Wall” campaign and with the Ramallah Farmers Market Association, and then on to Jenin where I will meet with Canaan Farms and the Palestinian Fair Trade Association. I will be making my way back to Seattle this weekend, and am looking forward to educating others about this critical food justice issue as well as launching myself into the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement that I think is the strongest way to hold Israel accountable for its disrespect of international law and fundamental human decency.
and left there this comment (just in case it doesn't go up):
I realize that politics is tricky but several comments:
1. it wouldn't have hurt to mention that in the Bible, olive trees are mentioned many times, in fact, as one of the 7 main species of agricultural produce. Of course, at that time there weren't any "Palestinians" around but if you are devoted to the Land and the Environment, you could have been more generous with your history.
2. Continuing with that, you imply that "Filistin" and "Palestine" are inter-related. The Philistines were one group and the name "Palestine" is another. That the Arabs conquered this territory in 638 CE/AD is not an automatic afirmation of some supposed ancient heritage rights. Your mixing up more than metaphors.
3. And while you do mention Israel and Zionism, Jews seem to escape your vocabulary. Jews are the national grouping most closely associated with this land, for over 3000 years with two kingdoms (and before that a Judgeship regime and a Patriarchal tribal existence), revolts and military campaigns against invaders, two Temples (one of which was visited by the founder of Christianity), all attested to by scientific archaelogical finds.
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