Land Day in the Village of Husan

We will plant olive trees

where before

there were thorns

All of us the same,

each of us different,

we will walk hand in hand

with a new song

of peace and love on our lips

We will plant olive trees

where before there were thorns

Sharing

is the one urgent need

in this dawning

of a new century

Paz, peace, paix

Mir, shalom, salaam.

We will plant olive trees

where before there were thorns.

            Federico Mayer, Spanish Director for UNESCO

We planted olive trees today, March 30^th, the day which commemorates the day in 1976 when there was a general strike in Palestine and protests against the massive expropriation of land. Six young Palestinian citizens of Israel were killed on this day also. On this 35th anniversary, thousands of Palestinians living in Gaza,Israel, and the West Bank took part in rallies,strikes, and symbolic nonviolent actions. Palestinians throughout the world remember this day and when and where possible plant olive trees, symbols of hope.

The Bethlehem team joined more than 50 people from the Holy Land Trust, villagers from Husan and neighboring villages, Palestinian activists, and other internationals in olive planting this year. We went to Khalid Hamamreh’s field, which had been decimated by bulldozers and a fire which destroyed his olive and fruit trees in October of 2010. Marwan Faraje from Holy Land Trust explained that Israeli authorities will not allow Khalid to build a wall around his field to protect his trees from settler attacks.  settler attacks are common in this village. Another farmer, just a few days ago, called to say his olive trees had been uprooted by settlers from the close by illegal settlement of Betar Illit.
The village of Husan is bordered by this settlement on one side and a settler only road on the other. EAs from the Bethlehem team have visited this village often over the years because of violence from both settlers and the Israeli Defense Forces.  Night raids are a common occurrences by the IDF in the name of "security." Bands of soldiers come to people's homes and ransack them.  At other times they come looking for a person to arrest and detain.

Our team was excited to participate in this tree planting event. Olive trees are the lifeblood for Palestinians and their uprooting or burning not only destroys people’s ability to make a living but is also considered a sacralidge. 


Richard and I arrived to the field just as the army jeeps were arriving. The soldiers surrounded us and stood around menacingly while we planted tree after tree.  Young men also planted Palestinian flags. Settlers hung on fences nearby watching us and taking photographs. One soldier said he was there to keep things ‘Safe.” For who I thought? Us? Them? The trees?

As we were preparing to leave the farmer and his wife thanked us for coming. He said, “Because you here everything OK, no soldiers do bad things.  We thank you.”  And so it was so this time, but I wondered about the night and the days and nights to come when the internationals are not around. Who will protect these trees, these fragile symbols of hope and life?

Let us plant olive trees where once there were charred trees,

where ancient trees have been uprooted.

Let us begin again against all odds,

plant new lives

new trees.

Rev. Loren McGrail
EA Bethlehem Team