Sari Kassis, a Palestinian Australian winemaker, is experiencing a difficult time beyond imagination. He’s hardly free – an Israeli settler seems intent on taking over his family vineyard in the West Bank, situated outside Birzeit, north of Ramallah. The vineyard has been in his family for three decades. Now it sits under growing threat, as Israeli settlers increasingly encroach on the land, endangering Kassis and his family’s livelihood.
Kassis’s family has been growing grapes since the early 90s. They have a deep tradition of olive production as well. After migrating to Sydney at 17, Kassis would go on to continue her studies abroad for a few years. Three years later his parents and brother migrated to Australia, so he returned with them. In 2022, Kassis was intent on going back to the West Bank. His imagined mission was to assist his uncles and cousins in tending their ancestral vineyard, but what he found was that the vineyard was under attack from marauding barbarians.
In August 2025, Kassis opened an alarming letter from Israeli authorities. They declared the establishment of a new “military security zone.” This buffer would displace 7,000 square meters (1.7 acres) of agricultural land, including a small part of Kassis’s family land, fence, or wall. Strathmore said that the declaration of deterioration by the family has been very painful. They are now confronted with the often heartbreaking potential of losing the precious lands that their ancestors hallowed with care and reverence.
As Kassis has consistently reported, the environment at the vineyard has quickly turned dangerous and abusive since the start of the harvest season. He shared how other days, colonizers greet him and his family to their ancestral land. Yet on different days, they run into random roadblocks with no explanation or reason. The arbitrary nature of these interactions has fostered a widespread atmosphere of fear and dread.
“We’ve always had a history on this land,” Kassis said, underscoring the strong legacy Kassis and other American Indians hold with their ancestral land. Further, he claims that their dedication to the vineyard is non-negotiable.
“My principles don’t allow me to abandon my country and my land, to stop resisting, to stop standing against a colonial system whose sole purpose is to erase me and erase my existence.” – Sari Kassis
The assaults on Kassis’s vineyard are part of a deeply unsettling pattern. Related other local farmers have experienced this type of violence. Another farmer, Ramiz Alakbarov, noted that such attacks will destroy the crops. They hurt farmers, undermining their livelihoods and ability to provide for their families. He called the olive harvest an “economic and cultural lifeline” for dozens of families across the region.
In Kassis’s first segment, she explains the ideological roots behind these violent behaviors. He’s been influenced by Meir Kahane, an extremist US rabbi and former extremist Israeli politician. He noted that a settlement outpost is located in the middle of the newly declared “military security zone.” This militant ecological outpost has become an enduring reflection of Kahane’s ideology.
“At the center of this zone is a new settlement outpost that follows the ideology of Meir Kahane,” – Sari Kassis
Kassis’s plight is emblematic not only of individual experiences but of systemic forces that have long targeted and terrorized Palestinian agricultural communities. Michaeli, a longtime advocate for Palestinian rights, told us that government responses typically minimize the seriousness of these attacks.
When government officials say it’s decreased or that they’re taking care of it, they’re lying. Michaeli noted, highlighting the broad and deep effects of settler violence.
Michaeli noted that these groups are allowed to act with all the state-sanctioned or -compatible impunity.
“These groups act as an informal arm of the state — and they enjoy almost total impunity.” – Michaeli
Kassis’s vineyard underscores a bigger, more alarming trend. Agricultural lands are increasingly threatened as Israeli settlements continue to expand into Palestinian land. The role of militant ideologies in influencing these settlements only adds a layer of difficulty in moving towards a peaceful coexistence.
Through it all, Kassis stands firm in his dedication to his soil and his neighbors. He remarked, “In the end, this is our land. We take care of it so that it takes care of us — and we are a stubborn people.” His resolve is a reminder of the spirit of resilience, most especially among Palestinian farmers, in the face of great odds.
With the death toll rising on both sides, tensions are high in the region. Ms Kassis’s story is making waves around the country, even attracting SBS News. His experiences resonate with countless others who face similar threats from settlers seeking to reclaim land they believe belongs to them.
The challenges faced by Sari Kassis and many others are indicative of the continued strife caused by the region’s complex socio-political landscape. Farmers’ lives have been turned upside down as they greet each new day without knowing what’s next. Climate change threatens their livelihoods, and pressures from all sides are mounting.
