The West Bank community is grappling with heightened tensions and violence, particularly against Palestinians, as settler attacks have surged dramatically over the past two years. The recent incidents, including physical assaults and arson, coincide with the olive harvest season, a critical time for local farmers. One of those recognized is Wadi’ Alqam, a Palestinian farmer who has endured several violent settler attacks on his farm and property over the years.
On October 13, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported these settler attacks reached outrageous levels. In only one week’s time, they recorded 71 incidents, over half of which occurred during the busy cherry harvest season. These attacks usually take place in response to the repression exercised by Israeli authorities against extremist settlers. They can be a response to violent attacks by Palestinians.
Personal Accounts of Violence
Wadi’ Alqam’s experiences are sadly indicative of the overall climate of fear and insecurity in the region. Only two months back, he endured an arson attack on his farmhouse that damaged a dozen new olive saplings.
“I used to have 18 very nice seats over there … and they were all melted,” – Wadi’ Alqam.
Now, Alqam is unable to access nearly two-thirds of his olive trees because Israeli forces have barred them since 2015. When he traveled home during his recent visit, he found that IDF declared part of his farmland as a military zone. At this point, this decision made it much harder for him to farm in the first place.
Local farmer Khawla Za’atar affirmed the sense of trepidation that gripped those workers toiling the fields.
“The workers that are with us are scared, we can’t work properly; they are looking around them to see if they [the settlers] are coming on their quad bikes,” – Khawla Za’atar.
This fear is palpable as Alqam and his neighbors navigate the complexities of living under constant threat from settler groups.
Settler Attacks Escalate
The violence has primarily not just taken the form of arson but in physical attacks. Recently in Turmus’ayya, a village surrounded by Israeli settlements, a group of more than 12 young Israeli men attacked Palestinians working in the fields, throwing stones and setting fire to three cars.
Things took a concerning turn after the attack on 53-year-old Palestinian Afaf Abu Alia by Israeli settlers. She was violently beaten with clubs throughout the event. Za’atar articulated the feelings of pain and betrayal that the community felt by what had occurred.
“We were very upset about her because she was an old lady,” – Khawla Za’atar.
Despite everything, the human toll is devastating—and escalating quickly. The Knesset’s recent preliminary vote to extend Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank has opened a fresh round of controversy. Proponents like Yisrael Medad, a spokesman for the West Bank settlement movement, argue that the area is rightfully Jewish land and advocate for full sovereignty.
“Every country can be as foolish and wrong as it wants to be,” – Yisrael Medad.
This position continues to stoke fears within the Palestinian people who have long felt the encroachment upon their existence, security and rights in their homeland.
International Reactions and Ongoing Struggles
The international community has begun to address these rising tensions. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the Knesset’s vote on annexation, calling it “potentially threatening for the peace deal.”
Small farmers like Alqam cannot afford to lose their livelihoods. For many, the olive harvest season is a crucial time period marked by both new economic potential and a lack of basic workplace freedoms. Alqam emphasized the urgency of their plight:
“They want the land. They want to pick us from our homes, from our village, from our city,” – Wadi’ Alqam.
This feeling rings true among the community as they are under constant attack of encroachment on their rights and lands.
As harvest season nears, farmers are having to get creative to protect their intact crops. Za’atar describes the urgency to load their fresh olives into trucks as soon as they’re picked, in order to avoid being caught out and vulnerable to an attack.
“We put the bags straight in the car right after we pick the olives,” – Khawla Za’atar.
This precaution reflects a desperate attempt to protect themselves while continuing their essential work during a time when tensions run high.
