Israeli occupying forces continue to harass olive farmers even with valid permits

Meta Peace Team members helped the same olive farmer that was forced to leave his land the previous day. Immediately after the team began to set up, the Israeli border police, the Israeli military and settler security all pulled up and got out of their vehicles and began watching us, pointing at us and talking. Phoenix and Bud began to photograph them and they began yelling at us to come down to them. The farmers began down the hill and then they motioned for us to come down as well. When we got to them, the settler security person told me that we have a problem. I told him that there was no problem because the farmers had a permit to pick their olives for today. Then he told me that we were making a mess. I told him that there we were not making a mess, we were just picking olives. He mumbled something I did not understand, then told me that it is prohibit to photograph the IDF (Israeli defense forces). I asked why? Are you ashamed of what you are doing and the military said no we are not ashamed. The settler security person then told me I had to delete all of the photos of IDF that I had taken. Then we went back up the hill and began picking olives. The Israeli occupying forces stayed there watching us for several hours when the settler security and the military vehicle left. The border police was there for another few hours and was even taking photographs of us. When he finally left, several Israeli soldiers showed up on the hill just above us that stood there watching us until about 2:30 pm when they informed us that we had to leave by 4:00 pm. Occupying Israeli authorities only gives olive farmers a two-day permit for them to pick their annual crop that usually takes about 10 days. This includes any time to weed, prune, fertilize or any other farming practice they wish to observe. The team was rushing to get the bags of olives to the vehicles which included a hike through a rock quarry and one farmer and Scott both slipped on the stones and injured themselves. It was clear during our encounter with the military, police and settlers that the settlers are calling the shots. It was the settler security that was telling the police and the military what to do. And the reason the Israeli military claims they are stationed over us with automatic weapons and bullet proof vests is because they are supposed to protect us from the settlers. To date, the Israeli police, nor the military have held settlers them accountable for any violent crimes they have committed against Palestinians.

From left to right: settler security, Israeli border police, Israeli military, olive farmer

Vehicles from left to right: settler security, border police, military