Join us in Palestine! Olive Harvest Campaign, 2004
Palestinian agricultural organizations and farmers, in coordination with the International Solidarity Movement and the
IWPS, announce the 2004 Olive Harvest Campaign. The campaign will take place between October 5 and November 15.
More information and registration will be available on our website shortly. For preparation and contact information,
please see our website, http://www.palsolidarity.org or write to info@palsolidarity.org. Join Internationals, Israelis and Palestinians for the Olive Harvest! The Olive
Harvest Campaign, 2004, will challenge settler and Israeli army actions that deny Palestinians access to their land and
the right to harvest their crops. Specific areas where the construction of the Wall, recently ruled as illegal by the
International Court in the Hague, has resulted in increased suffering on the Palestinian people by confiscating
cultivated land and denying access to farmers, will be targeted This will include focusing on areas where gates in the
Wall that separate farmers from their land and markets are arbitrarily controlled by the Israeli Army. Volunteers for
the Harvest Campaign will accompany farmers to assist in accessing their farms. In addition, they will serve as witness
to expose the attacks by settlers, supported by the Israeli Army, on farmers and their families. The presence of
internationals during harvest time has proven in the past to help both limit, and decrease the severity, of attacks.
The olive harvest is an extremely important activity for the lives and livelihoods of Palestinians and their
communities. In the past four years agricultural productivity has decreased dramatically due to closures and sieges
which prohibit access to agricultural land and markets. The Wall and increased attacks on farmers and their families in
the fields has further impacted their ability to earn a living.
Harvesting olives is also a statement of connection to the land and a symbol of life. Palestinians are the indigenous
people of this land who have harvested olives for thousands of years. They are continuing to be separated from their
land by the construction of the Wall and expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, building of by-pass roads and the
creation of "security-zones" by the Israeli Army. In addition, over half a million olive and fruit trees have been
destroyed since September 2000. Palestinian agriculture is being effectively destroyed by the policies of the Israeli
government and the rights of Palestinians to their land and to a livelihood are being denied.
The International Solidarity Movement calls on you to join us this Fall to participate in non-violent protest of the
on-going confiscation and destruction of Palestinian land and the illegal policies of denying farmers access to their
lands, markets and water sources. This campaign is part of the on-going work of the International Solidarity Movement,
(ISM),a Palestinian-led movement of Palestinian and International activists working to raise awareness of the struggle
for Palestinian freedom and an end to Israeli occupation. ISM utilizes nonviolent, direct-action methods of resistance
to confront and challenge the Israeli occupation. This year we are calling on you to join us for the olive harvest in
Palestine.
With international accompaniment, we can help ensure that Palestinian farmers and landowners are not met with brutal and
sometimes lethal violence as they attempt to harvest their crops. With your help and participation we will expose the
injustice of the Israeli occupation and send a message to the world that the occupation must end and the Wall must fall!
Important Notes:
1- It is recommended that you stay for at least two weeks, though if this is not possible, your presence anytime
throughout the duration of the campaign is appreciated.
2- It will cost you approximately $150 per week for food, accommodation and travel in Palestine
3- Training and orientation is mandatory for participation: training dates being scheduled