THE OLIVE TREE PROJECT: UPDATE
THANK YOU FOR HELPING FARMERS ACROSS PALESTINE
It has been very difficult for Palestinian farmers this year, with a significant rise in Settler attacks and threats to their livelihood.
The dedicated staff working with the Olive Tree Project want you to know how thankful they are for your help and continued solidarity with Palestinian farmers. Your support for the project and generosity is helping to keep hope alive.
NEWS FROM THE OLIVE GROVES - A HARVEST UNDER THREAT
For many Palestinian farmers the olives are their main crop, a vital source of income, but this year the olive harvest is under threat like never before.
The Hamas-Israel war has led to severe movement restrictions in the West Bank and a significant increase in violence.
Many farmers have been struggling reach their fields to harvest them, and those that do have faced attacks by Setters. Olive groves have also been cut down or burnt and farmers who have managed to harvest some of their crop face further difficulties in transporting it for processing.
OLIVE PICKING TRIP CANCELLED
At this time of year we usually bring you news of our latest olive harvest trip – every year we take a group of volunteers to the West Bank to help with the harvest. But of course we, along with other international groups, had to cancel our trip this year.
Our partner East Jerusalem YMCA, who help to organise the Olive Tree Project, have had to cancel all of their olive harvest events but they continue to support and advise famers.
““A lot of Palestinian farmers depend on the olive harvest and now they are alone in this but we are doing everything we can to help them.””
NEW PROJECT TO HELP SAVE THE OLIVE HARVEST
In Area B of the West Bank there are no settlements, so the security risks are less, but movement restrictions and the lack of international volunteers means there are not enough workers to bring in the harvest.
Embrace has therefore funded a new project with our partners Pontifical Mission for Palestine to pay for local workers to be trained and employed to collect, pick and sort the olives from groves in the Al-Makhrour Valley, in Bethlehem.
This will not only help to save the harvest there but give vital employment to young Palestinians, many of whom had been employed in Israel. They have been unable to work since 7th October attacks as the border between the West Bank and Israel has remained closed.
THE PALESTINIANS YOU HAVE HELPED
HANI
Planting olive trees doesn’t just help farmers. Olive trees are vital for other Palestinian industries, like food processing, soap making and also traditional crafts such as woodcarving. The pruned branches of olive trees are used by artisans such as Hani to produce beautiful decorations and household objects.
Hani is one of the oldest and most experienced olive wood producers in the area.
He comes from a long line of talented carvers and learned the trade from his late father. He took his first job in an olive wood workshop in 1969. Hani started at the bottom, tasked with putting the finishing touches on each olive wood product, but after 4 years he was able to purchase his first piece of machinery and began creating his own products. He now works alongside his talented eldest son Iyad.
OLIVE WOOD GIFTS
We have many lovely products in our shop that have come from the olive trees of Palestine. Our Olive Tree Gifts Collection includes hand-carved olive wood products, all fairly-traded and handcrafted in Bethlehem from the pruned branches of local olive trees. If you fancy having a browse for that unique and special treat for yourself or a loved one, just go to shop.embraceme.org
OLIVE TREE GIFTS
If you’re after some unique gifts we’ve plenty to choose from. Our olive wood range includes, Salad Servers, Olive Wood Dish and a Set of 6 Olive Wood Coasters. You can also buy Nablus Olive Oil Soap and Zaytoun Organic Olive Oil.
We also have a range of olive wood decorations including a hand-carved Praying Angel and Praying Hands, as well as a selection of intricate olive wood Decorations.
SPONSOR AN OLIVE TREE
For an extra special gift this Christmas, why not sponsor another olive tree? This year Palestinian farmers need your help more than ever so give this amazing gift to a loved one this Christmas and help keep hope alive.
“By sponsoring a tree, you have help Palestinian farmers to continue to claim and work their land. Thank you”
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