Settlers Cut More Than 100 Olive Trees Near Salfit, page 1

Is this another fanatical frenzie ?

Last Friday, Israeli settlers cut down more than 100 West Bank Palestinian Olive trees.

Some they say were from ancient Roman times.
(can anybody confirm an olive tree lives that long?)

The "settlers" want to expand so they say.

Local sources reported that the settlers came from the Tapoah illegal settlement, and started cutting the trees that are located in Al-Mafqa’a area, near Yasouf.

The sources specifically blamed one settler who owns more than 100 sheep, as he repeatedly harassed the residents and is believed to be behind incitement that led to the attack.

The settlers are attacking Palestinian orchards and lands in that area in an attempt to force the Palestinians out, so that they can expand the settlement.

Earlier on Friday, settlers attacked and punched two Palestinian youth in the southern West Bank city of Hebron. Soldiers, stationed at the area, kidnapped the two Palestinians; the settlers were not even detained.

Olive trees Cut Down ?


Can anyone confirm these events?

AND, just WHO has land titles there ?

Do the "settlers" have mortgages or did they have the money ?

Does the U.N. have any authority with this ?

This ancient olive tree is located on the Greek island of Crete and is one of seven olive trees in the Mediterranean believed to be at least 2,000 to 3,000 years old. Although its exact age cannot be verified, the Olive Tree of Vouves might be the oldest among them, estimated at over 3,000 years old. It still produces olives, and they are highly prized. Olive trees are hardy and drought-, disease- and fire-resistant — part of the reason for their longevity and their widespread use in the region.

www.mnn.com...

This type of thing really upsets me.

It is fundamental: if we are tearing up and destroying FOOD (precious food sources that are our heritage and represent the possibility of shared brotherly love) over religious and political ideologies?

I just see this as some of the worst possible human behaviour; the antithesis of Love One Another.

Thanks for asking.

reply to post by xuenchen

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Some they say were from ancient Roman times.
(can anybody confirm an olive tree lives that long?)

Olive Trees can live for a very long time. Some are claimed to be nearly 4000 years old, but this has not been proven. But there are many which are more than 1500 years old for sure.

reply to post by Frater210

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Nice list Frater and yes it is upsetting. These trees are ancient and beautiful.

An olive tree in Bar, Montenegro, is claimed to be over 2,000 years old.
en.wikipedia.org...

A supposedly older tree, the "Peisistratos Tree", is located by the banks of the Cephisus River, in the municipality of Agioi Anargyroi, and is said to be a remnant of an olive grove that was planted by Athenian tyrant Peisistratos in the 6th century BC. Numerous ancient olive trees also exist near Pelion in Greece
en.wikipedia.org...

The leafy branches of the olive tree – the olive leaf as a symbol of abundance, glory and peace

en.wikipedia.org...

Do you see the symbolism here folks? These people fighting and fussing and killing one another over this symbol of peace? What sick irony is there in this? What useful symbol with which to understand this horror?

Another thing that is interesting is that in ancient times olive branches were given to the victors of athletic and other types of contests. Is it not disgusting that these people feel entitled to just take the symbol of victory and peace? Either one of them?

They should be dragged by the ears in to the market square and spanked for their petulance.

None of us need to buy in to the premise of the story they are trying to sell us. It is an old and dangerous story who's time has come.

Why do we tolerate this?

I also find it to be disgusting that right now at Georgia tech university they are trying to teach war robots not to blow up world heritage sights while simultaneously human beings have not managed to learn this in 2000 years.

We ready to stop this now?

I hope I'm misreading this and people aren't legitimately outraged and hurt at the loss of a TREE..? I'm hoping the outrage here is for the larger issue of the Settlers moving outward to take more land around them...once again.

I found this recently and thought it would fit real well here. It shows a couple maps of just how badly the West Bank is raped by the Israelis. To call it Palestinian land is really misleading in every way...

Maps and Photos of the Israeli Wall and Settelments

I'll always come down on the Israeli side of the equation here for who I support, just as so many will ignore every last suicide bomber to support the terrorists of Hamas and Hezbollah. However...The Israeli's need to get control over their Settlers.

I'd say Google 'Operation Price Tag' for a better understanding of what this kind of Olive Tree attack is all about and what the background is for this daily tit-for-tat slap fest between Settlers and Palestinians. It's never ending and constant.

reply to post by xuenchen

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First of all, i hope its not true.
OP is not certain.
If its certain we need a solution.
I posted this elsewhere on ATS, just add some Rabbi's and some settlers.

I have a proposition.
Lets help mother Nature and at the same time get rid of all this constant steam of nonsense.
Lets catch all Lawyers and politicians and put them to good use.
Let us make compost out of them and help some trees.

reply to post by xuenchen

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Alot of tress if left unhindered can live for up to at least 5000 years, so yes they could be 2000 years old provided they got proper amounts of water and didn't catch any diseases or get eaten up by wood worms.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

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Good point about that "Wall".

Evidentially it has been "under construction" for about 10 years, and we don't really hear much about it.

Where are all these "settlements" springing up ? East or West of "The Wall".

The pictures look like a cross between the Great Wall of China and The Berlin Wall.

Is this a "separatist" agenda ?

Looks like a contractor's dream wall.


wiki

The Israeli West Bank barrier is a separation barrier (see "Names of the barrier") being constructed by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank. Upon completion, the barrier’s total length will be approximately 760 kilometres (470 mi) (twice the length of the 1949 Armistice Line (Green Line) between the West Bank and Israel)[citation needed]. The barrier is a fence with vehicle-barrier trenches surrounded by an on average 60 metres (200 ft) wide exclusion area (90% of its length), and an 8 metres (26 ft) tall concrete wall (10% of its length).[1] The barrier is built mainly in the West Bank and partly along the 1949 Armistice line, or "Green Line" between Israel and Palestinian West Bank. 12% of the West Bank area is on the Israel side of the barrier.[2]

Supporters argue that the barrier is necessary to protect Israeli civilians from Palestinian terrorism, including the suicide bombing attacks that increased significantly during the Second Intifada.[3] There has been a reduced number of incidents of suicide bombings since the construction of the barrier. According to statistics published by the Israeli government, between 2000 and July 2003, when the "first continuous segment" of the barrier was built, 73 Palestinian suicide bombings were carried out from the West Bank, killing 293 Israelis and injuring over 1,900. However, from August 2003 and the end of 2006, only 12 attacks were carried out, killing 64 Israelis and wounding 445.[4] Supporters argue that this is indicative of the barrier being effective in preventing such attacks.

very long wiki:
Israeli West Bank barrier

Which side are the Settlements on?

We Need Some Details on The Wall

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

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It's never ending and constant.

Yeah it is. So how about this?

We are sick of all of them. Every single last one of them. Why cannot we just make a simple decision that what has happened here is not good?

Think about that. What has happened that people have gotten so twisted around it that we can't simply agree that it is bad? I know why. Because we have all been told that smart and nice people don't make rash decisions about the way that others live.

Why can't we see that having our ability to come to unanimity around Goodness and Badness has been systematically destroyed in us? And what do we hope to accomplish without it?

Why should we all buy the premise that we need to look deeply in to the 'real' reasons that this happened?

I am sick of that story, I want a new one and no longer wish to participate in this old poisonous one that these Performance Artists are trying to sell us.

See it for what it is. We are getting sicker and sicker of kindly standing by and accepting this story as inevitable. It is not.

These people on both sides are acting like idiots. Ignore the details of their stupid ancient story of family in-fighting and let's simply hold them accountable for their bad behaviour.

Aren't you sick of these bozos dragging the world around by their stupid and deadly story? We are all caught up in it. Let's turn the page.

I'd say Google 'Operation Price Tag' for a better understanding of what this kind of Olive Tree attack is all about and what the background is for this daily tit-for-tat slap fest between Settlers and Palestinians.

See what I mean, ATS?

Why? why why why? Do we really need a refresher on this? Or is someone concerned about updating the databases of those not twisted up in the story?

Who cares? We know the story from childhood; they air it on PBS regularly.

No one needs to read it again.

All participants from either side of these Olive Tree Murders should all be subjected to a publicly humiliating slap-fest. And then made to tend olive groves for the rest of their pathetic lives. And then hand feed the olives to tourists eight hours a day so that we can all taste our world heritage.

reply to post by Frater210

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I share your desires for a more peaceful and calm world to live in and raise my child in. It's about as far from what we have as one can get short of shooting wars raging world wide....and that'll come soon enough.


Having said that... I'm certainly as sick of all this garbage as everyone else and I'd be just as happy to see the U.S. pull back to Italy, as it's closest point for awhile..and let the combatants duke it out and finish things. We'l make peace deals with the few warm bodies left breathing in the wasteland their centuries of hate leave that region when it finally cuts loose one last time.


Why should we care? Why bring anything back up when we can idealize a better place? Well... I'd say it's because a real war will be underway soon. Millions of REAL people WILL die in it, and at this point I don't see any avenue left for the world where this isn't the outcome. Time lines change....players who start the dance change...but the scenarios all pretty well lead to the same big blow out as the final result. So..... It's hard to imagine that ideal world...when the real one will soon flow with the blood of innocent people, from both sides.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

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Why should we care? Why bring anything back up when we can idealize a better place? Well... I'd say it's because a real war will be underway soon. Millions of REAL people WILL die in it, and at this point I don't see any avenue left for the world where this isn't the outcome. Time lines change....players who start the dance change...but the scenarios all pretty well lead to the same big blow out as the final result. So..... It's hard to imagine that ideal world...when the real one will soon flow with the blood of innocent people, from both sides.

This is a very beautiful post.

Thank you for keeping the dialectic flowing in such a kind and responsible manner, Wrabbit.

In this way we will come to the answer. of course we have these problems because they have not been solved yet. Simple as that.

I just think that we can be much more creative in finding solutions other than in taking sides.

reply to post by Frater210

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Well, I tend to agree on the finding of solutions. After the war is over and we all see who is left to help rebuild, like Europe after World War II, it'll be vital to keep positive outlooks and hope in a much better future.

We, as a world at this point, just have to get through this coming period of ugliness to get to that rebuilding part, IMO Here is hoping, on a serious note, that everyone here is still around to help rebuild when the time comes.

reply to post by xuenchen

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This type of behavior angers me

Settlers have been doing this for a long while and lately it's been happening a lot more.

The Palestinians aren't allowed to fight back in fear of reprisals from the IDF, talk about a bunch of cowards. It must be nice having your own personal mercenaries to protect you from the consequences of your own actions. Yesterday I watched a video of the IDF rolling into the West Bank and ripping tomato plants from the ground and pulling water tubing out of the ground. Essentially they cut off their supply to fresh water and ruined their only source of income.

Now they're back to sabotaging olive groves?

Not only are those trees ancient, but they're also one of the only sources of income for the Palestinians who are already in a dire situation. Ungrateful settler cowards get my blood boiling!

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