Olives and Oil: Between Redemption and Violence |
Whenever my family goes to Israel, we have a special pilgrimage site. Beyond the Old City of Jerusalem, my great-grandparents are buried in the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives. Beside their graves is an olive tree.
This olive tree was bare for many visits when my great-grandfather lay alone. Now that he is reunited with his beloved, the tree has blossomed and bears fruit.
Olives tie us to our beloved homeland. As we celebrate Hanukkah, we remember the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple over two thousand years ago, which was marked by the rekindling of the Menorah using pure olive oil.
Olives are also a symbol of peace. Early in Genesis, Noah releases a dove to find out whether there is dry land. The dove returns with an olive branch in its beak.
Sadly, these same olives have recently become a symbol of violence, as we have seen unprecedented settler attacks targeting the Palestinian olive harvest.
This harvest is important both economically and culturally, connecting the Palestinians to the land they have called home and worked for centuries. While this land has carried many names, and been controlled by various powers, the olives and their harvesters have remained a constant.
At least until now.
Over the past few months, it has been devastating to read about the almost-daily (if not daily) attacks on Palestinians harvesting their crops. These attacks have taken many forms. Some of them are quiet, with farmers and volunteers cut off from olive........