Rabbi Dov Lior, an influential Israeli religious leader, has issued a religious ruling declaring it permissible to take olives from Palestinian groves in the occupied West Bank. The ruling has drawn a storm of criticism.
In the ruling, issued on Friday, Lior argued that Palestinian farmers who cannot harvest their own olives this season because of Israeli restrictions have already been compensated enough by enjoying the olives in past years. Under the ruling, Jews may pick olives from these Palestinian groves in order to assert ownership of Palestinian land.
At a time when violence and rampages by Israeli occupation forces and settlers continue in the West Bank, the rabbi, born in Poland in 1933, described taking olives from Palestinian farms as a kind of “extra virtue”, a noble deed.
He also said settlers should “take possession” of land outside Jewish settlements, so that ownership is displayed in public and the biblical commandment can be followed.
The ruling states: “The Jewish people never gave up their claim to the Land of Israel, which we remember in our daily prayers. The Arabs never bought this land from the Jewish people or from any individual Jew. So it is a kind of stolen land in their hands… They in no way bought it, and it remains in Jewish ownership.”
Violence in the olive harvest
The ruling comes as settler attacks on Palestinian farmers have risen sharply during the olive harvest. Last Friday, at least 19 people were injured in 34 attacks by the Israeli army and settlers on Palestinians picking olives across the West Bank.
An American photojournalist working for The Washington Post was also attacked by settlers while covering the daily violence. Five cars were set on fire the same day. Because of Israeli restrictions and the risk of deadly settler attacks, many Palestinian farmers cannot reach their own farmland.
Reaction among religious leaders
Not all Jewish religious leaders back the call to take Palestinian olives. Rabbis of the religious council of the Gush Etzion settlement, in a joint letter, called the illegal picking of Palestinian crops “theft”, “desecration” and “moral decay”.
Tzohar, an organisation of about 800 Orthodox rabbis, said in a statement that only the state has the authority to seize property. As long as the state recognises Arab ownership of the olives, they remain Arab property.
Mamoun Abu Amer, an analyst of Israeli politics, told Al Jazeera that the opposition of other religious groups to Lior’s remarks may have political motives.
“The rabbis who opposed this call may be acting out of political tactics or under pressure from groups inside the government,” he said. “They want to show the world that these are isolated statements by a few extremists that do not represent the views of ordinary settlers.”
He added: “The Israeli government is also trying to show that those involved in this violence are a limited group and that most settlers are peaceful, law-abiding citizens. They want to present the whole matter as the criminal activity of a group called the Hilltop Youth.”
Lior nonetheless has wide influence among extremist settler groups. Members of the Hilltop Youth in particular follow his strict religious rulings blindly, rulings that reject any kind of land compromise with the Palestinians.
He is also a leading figure in Israel’s Religious Zionist movement and is known as the spiritual guide of Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power), the far-right party led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
“Ben-Gvir relies essentially on Rabbi Dov Lior’s religious rulings, which come from extremist interpretations of various biblical matters,” Abu Amer said.
He went on: “Another important point is that Ben-Gvir fights his political battles through TikTok, campaign tactics and populist rhetoric. Since the events of 7 October, a large market for extremism has formed in Israeli society, and that helps him win votes.”
Meanwhile Gilad Kariv, a member of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, for the left-wing Democrats party, sharply criticised Lior, accusing him and his followers of pushing Israel into deep moral decline.
“Those who stand by neutral or silent on this issue are in fact joining hands with Rabbi Dov Lior and his criminal gang,” Kariv said.
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