Standing Firm Amid Growing Intimidation
OMAR’S STORY
Would you turn up to work knowing that you risked facing threats and even physical violence?
For the past 10 years Omar has faithfully tended his farmland in Za’atara, near Bethlehem, but each year he faces more intimidation from radical Israeli settlers trying to drive him and other Palestinian farmers from their land.
“Before the war [in Gaza], there were always challenges, but there was also space to work, to plan, to breathe...now, settler harassment has become more frequent, the risks have increased.”
Instead of stepping back, Omar plants more, invests more, and spends more time on his land, because he believes that staying present and continuing to cultivate his land is the only way to protect it. This year, thanks to Embrace supporters who sponsored trees through the Olive Tree Project, he was able to plant 60 new olive saplings on his land.
For Omar, land is not just property, it is identity. It is what ties generations together, and an anchor to hold onto in these times of turmoil and threat. Each tree he plants helps to strengthens this connection.
Just as he inherited his land from his father, Omar’s one great hope is that he will be able to pass the land onto his children.
“We must invest in the land as much as we can...because in the end, it is the only thing that will remain for them.”
Thanks in part to the Olive Tree Project, Omar has been able to keep that hope alive, at least for another year.
The Olive Tree Project
Through the Olive Tree Project, Embrace the Middle East supports Palestinian farmers to remain rooted in their land. Discover Olive Tree Sponsorship and Olive Tree Twinning below.
