Tag Archives: West Bank

Avi Dabush: This Purim: Join us in UNMASKING Jewish Terror

Dear Friends,

Purim is well known as a time for celebration, partying, dressing up, wearing our masks and thinking about Jewish resilience and perseverance over oppression. That, in short, was the story of Purim.

Today, however, some of us have taken things too far. When we look at the steady rise of settler violence/Jewish terror in the West Bank we see that some, too many, of us have gone from perseverance to extremism and hate. We are witness to too many instances of Jews moving beyond resilience to perpetrating violence against Palestinians and solidarity activists. Continue reading →

Avi Dabush: Settler Militias are Terror Organizations and those they attack must be recognized as Victims of Terror!

Rabbis for Human Rights Executive Director, Avi Dabush, in a special hearing before the Knesset Law and Constitution Committee (Chaired by MK Rabbi Gilad Kariv), held following attack on our activists this past Friday in the West Bank village of Burin: “This hearing was held following one of the most brutal attacks that we have seen in our many years of activism. Masked men, with no fear of God, attacked with clubs and stones, our volunteers, some of them over 80 years old, thinking that they can impose their vision of Jewish supremacy over the land, from which Palestinian farmers must sustain themselves while living under impossible circumstances.

“I expect that out of this committee, from the Government and from law enforcement to act swiftly to declare these Jewish militias as terror groups and the people harmed by their violence as victims of terror. We demand the mapping and evacuating these illegal outposts. Continue reading →

Tree Planting Met With Terror: We Will Not Be Intimidated

Dear Friends,

I am writing to you following the events of this past Friday, January 21st, that took place in the village of Burin. We were engaged in a tree planting activity together with our friends from the Olive Harvest Coalition, side by side with Palestinian farmers. Suddenly, we were set upon by a group of masked, messianic attackers. There is no other way to describe this attack other than an act of terror. They stormed down from the nearby hill, from the illegal outpost called Givat Ronen, and began to beat activists with their clubs, to stone them and to set a car ablaze.

Continue reading →

Be With Us: From the Harvest, To Planting and Accompanying Palestinian Shepherds

Following a successful harvest season, in which volunteers went out to harvest with Palestinian over 700 individual times in the Northern West Bank. There, on the ground and in the olive trees the truth of solidarity was revealed. Standing together for justice, peace and human rights is the only way that each olive harvested will grow again into another tree that can be harvested in peace and with equality.

Unfortunately, the harvest this year, while it was a success in terms of how many people we brought out, the solidarity and awareness we raised, we cannot help but be profoundly disturbed by the frustration, anger, pain of the farmers. Continue reading →

The Olive Harvest Continues: Over 500 Volunteers So Far!!

Dear Friends,

The Olive Harvest continues and this week, as we reported, has been one of excitement, pain and success. As we reported to you earlier in the week, on Monday our staff and volunteers were attacked as they participated in the harvest near Awarta. However, even in the face of violence, threats and indifference we continue and are proud of the over 500 volunteers who have joined us thus far, where we all work to show that justice and solidarity can overcome violence and oppression. Continue reading →

PRESS STATEMENT: RHR Volunteers & Staff Attacked During West Bank Olive Harvest

// Press Release – 25.10.2021 //

Volunteers and employees from Rabbis For Human Rights were attacked not long ago by settlers from the Itamar settlement, while the volunteers were assisting Palestinian farmers harvesting their olives in the village of Awarta in the West Bank.

The attackers who arrived on foot and on “tractoronim” (small tractors used for racing) sprayed pepper gas at the harvesters. One of the employees of RHR was hurt and needed medical assistance. Volunteers with RHR reported that there was an army presence at the time but that the soldiers barely intervened. Continue reading →

Support the 2021 Olive Harvest!

The 2021 Olive Harvest is RHR’s way to move human rights forward! From the virtual world to the actual world, RHR is busy making human rights a reality. Struggling against violence and hate, planting seeds of solidarity with each olive harvested, RHR is Moving Forward for Human Rights!

Today we are changing the future together. We are out in the groves, harvesting in solidarity with Palestinian olive farmers. We stand for THE PALESTINIAN RIGHT TO FARM THEIR OLIVES in peace and in security, free of violence and free of oppression!”

Donate… Make each olive count for justice and for peace!
Thank you for your support and for Moving Human Rights Forward!

In its 19th year of working on the olive harvest, RHR volunteers were out in the occupied West Bank village of Awarta to help with the olive harvest. It was the first day of the season for our volunteers. We are proud to stand with our Palestinian partners who face violent harassment & restrictions under the occupation. You can continue this work from anywhere in the world by being a supporter.

If you would like to donate to BFRHR, you can find more information on the Donations page

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The 2021 Olive Harvest is fast approaching

The 2021 Olive Harvest with RHR and Palestinian Olive Farmers is fast approaching. We look forward to our 19th year leading volunteers into the West Bank to help Palestinian farmers harvest olives and to stand with them in solidarity against settler violence, against interference by the military and against the indifference that allows for their rights to be trampled year after year. Continue reading →

Olive Harvest 2020: Support the Harvest

Rabbi Yehiel Grenimann, member of Rabbis for Human Rights Board of Directors, speaks from the olive groves in the West Bank Village of Burin to remind us that the Palestinians’ struggle for human rights is also out struggle as Jews who live by the sacred commandment, “love your neighbour as you love yourself”.

My Dear Friends and Supporters, Continue reading →

Olive Harvest 2020: A Volunteer Report

The Olive Harvest is a unique opportunity for Israeli and overseas volunteers to learn about human rights in the occupied West Bank and stand/act in solidarity with Palestinian farmers who are under constant threats of violence and harassment by nearby settlers. Rabbis for Human Rights is now organizing the annual Olive Harvest for the 18th time. Continue reading →