UAWC advocates for the Palestinian farmers’ rights with Japanese Activists
In the Palestinian situation, it is important to always feel that we are not alone especially the farmers. Accordingly, a Skype meeting was held between Palestinian agricultural students in Hebron and a group of 80 Japanese supporters and activists in Japan. The meeting focused on the daily difficulties that Palestinian farmers’ face as a result of the policies of the Israeli occupation, the students also talked about the difficulties the farmers face in order to adapt to climate change.
The students opened their speech by giving an overview on the recent war on Gaza, and stated facts regarding the agricultural sector in Gaza. In the second part of the meeting the students stressed on the Israeli violations against the Palestinian farmers such as direct physical insults, demolitions (livestock shelters, water wells, greenhouses …), trees uprooting or burning, and land vandalizing. Finally, the students gave reasons for the Palestinians struggle in adapting to climate change, which are the constant Israeli violations (materialistic and non-materialistic violations) against Palestinian farmers especially in area C, and the inability of Palestine to sign the climate change convention, since it is an observer state at the UN General Assembly.
The Japanese activists shared their questions with the students. The questions revolved around the Israeli wall, water conflict due to the Israeli control on the Palestinian water resources, and the marketing problem for the Palestinian goods and especially in international markets.
It is important to note that Japanese activists from Olive No Kai foundation participate every year in UAWC’s annual olive harvest campaign to support the Palestinian farmers. This years’ campaign was under the slogan” Our Olive is Resistance,” and it is within Defending Our Rights project which is funded by the Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA). This year’s slogan is derived from the circumstances surrounding the Palestinians and affecting their lives directly, and the high Israeli uprooting of the Palestinian olive trees. To be precise, the Israeli army and Israeli settlers uprooted more than 8480 trees most of them were olive trees during the first six months of 2014.