Olive Tree Summer FAQ

1. Who initiated Olive Tree Summer?

Olive Tree Summer is the name of a proposal submitted by ‘Break the Silence’ to a conference held last May in Chicago. That conference, JUNITY – Jewish Unity for a Just Peace, was an important event in revitalizing the response of the progressive Jewish community to the ongoing Israeli occupation. The proposal for Olive Tree Summer was one of a few focused on Jews traveling to Israel and Palestine to show solidarity with Israeli human rights and peace organizations and with Palestinians struggling to end the occupation.

Some activists contacted each other following the conference to work on developing a concrete program for doing nonviolent direct action together with Israeli and Palestinian activists protesting Israeli human rights abuses. More information about that conference is available at http://www.junity.org/. ‘Break the Silence’ is the name of an American Jewish peace campaign led by Cherie Brown, Rabbi Mordecai Leibling, and Rabbi Arthur Waskow.

2. What organizations are connected to Olive Tree Summer?

Olive Tree Summer is independent of any organization. Among our supporters are leaders and activists with the Israeli organizations listed below. None of those organizations has made an official decision regarding Olive Tree Summer. This list is not comprehensive. See our list of endorsers.

Rabbis for Human Rights, Coalition of Women for a Just Peace, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, Women in Black, Friends of the Earth Middle East, and Reut-Sadaka.

3. I want to attend Olive Tree Summer. Where are the logistical details?

Right here: www.oocities.org/JewishPeacemakers/logistics.html

4. What will you do while in Israel and Palestine?

It is difficult to answer that question precisely. Our intention is to work closely with Israeli and Palestinian activists who organize nonviolent protests and solidarity work. The following is a list of actions that have been done in the past and are likely to be done as part of Olive Tree Summer:

• Planting trees, or other agricultural work, on land that has been razed or closed off by settlers or the Israeli army.
• Delivering needed supplies to villages sealed off by Israeli blockade.
• Monitoring the behavior of Israeli troops at checkpoints and demonstrations.
• Visiting Palestinians to show our support for their human rights, in particular those victimized by settler violence.
• Distributing information in English to tourists and other visitors to the region.
• Removing Israeli roadblocks that seal off villages from each other.
• Participating in protest activities with Israelis and Palestinians, such as marches and vigils.
• Painting over racist graffiti left by Israeli settlers in Hebron.
• Attending tours and publicity events held by settlers, for the purpose of challenging their statements in public.
• Staying in ‘peace encampments’ in or near areas targeted by settlers and troops.

1. What is the political content of ‘Olive Tree Summer’?

This is a difficult question to answer. Essentially, it is that the occupation is the biggest obstacle to peace, and that ending it is the most important action that could be taken by Israel to bring about peace and reconciliation with the Palestinians. We do not offer an analysis deeper than that in order to respect our diverse political viewpoints. More important than a political analysis is a moral and ethical one stemming from our identification as Jews: it is that the behavior of Israel towards the Palestinians, as expressed by occupation, settlements, and human rights violations, are out of touch with our most deeply held beliefs.

Those of us from the U.S know that the well-financed lobbies in support of Israel hold extreme positions that fail to reflect the diversity of American Jewish opinion. But they pretend that all American Jews support those positions, and speak in their name. One consequence of this is the rise of activism loudly declaring that US policy in the Middle East is ‘not in our name.’ Explicitly Jewish organizations and efforts have an important role to play in changing US policies that encourage or facilitate the occupation.

Jews from other countries (Canada, Britain, Holland) know that the close relationship between their governments and Israel is (to a large extent) based on the perception that most Jews blindly support Israel, and that Israel deserves special consideration because of the Holocaust. Our message is that blind support for Israel is enabling the occupation, perpetuating the conflict and harmful to both Israelis and Jews in the long term.

As politically active Jews, we care about our own people and we care about Palestinians being victimized ‘in our name.’ Our sense is that Jewish values, tradition, and history call for a different relationship between Jews and the rest of the world; this relationship should be based on the precepts of seeking peace and pursuing justice. This perception is the polar opposite of the worldview of many settlers in the West Bank and Gaza, who see themselves as restoring past Jewish glory and paving the way for the messiah. Many of those settlers are immigrants from the U.S., so it is entirely appropriate for American Jews – and others – to resist them and their message in person.

2. How will Olive Tree Summer achieve its goals?

This effort is focused on creating change. One arena for change is that of the Israeli public. They are used to headlines proclaiming that Jews from other countries are arriving to show support and solidarity with Israel during ‘these difficult times.’ By acting as Jews from abroad on a solidarity mission to the Israeli peace and human rights camp, and to the Palestinians, we are breaking the image of unqualified support for the ‘Jewish state.’

The second arena, is that of our home countries, especially the U.S. Our activism as Jews, when publicized back home, can be part of the effort to change foreign policy, educate the Jewish community, legitimize supporters of Palestinian rights in the political sphere, and enable more Jews to ‘out’ themselves as critics of Israel and the occupation.

The third arena is comprised of Palestinians and their supporters. For some, the image of the ‘Jew’ is based on those of settlers and soldiers. This is a false image that contributes to anti-Semitism. The use of anti-Semitism by supporters of Palestinian rights is bad strategy, and it is also bad for future coexistence between Jews and Palestinians. Our presence as Jewish allies of human rights for Palestinians allows us to change negative stereotypes by engaging in meaningful solidarity work, as opposed to preaching at the victims to cease hating their oppressor.