Bashir is a Palestinian Christian whose family has lived and farmed the land for many generations. There are olive trees, a vineyard, apple trees and pear trees; passed down from father to son time after time
Bashir lives just outside Bethlehem, in a beautiful valley. His house is one side of the road that runs up to Jerusalem; his fields the other.
Along the side of the road runs The Wall, allegedly built to define boundaries and provide protection from 'the Other', whoever the other may be
What the wall actually does with regard to Bashir is make it incredibly hard for him to reach his fields, and increase the chances of him getting stuck the wrong side of the wall. If he can't get to his fields regularly, the Israeli occupying authorities will declare the land unoccupied and hand it over to Israeli settlers. And that will be the end for Bashir and his life on the land
So picking olives with him today was incredibly special.
It wasn't just a chance to be out in the country doing something simple and practical.
It was also a chance to show Bashir, and farmers like him, that we care about their future
And about their past, and all that has happened.
And about their today's and what they have to endure.
And it was a chance to be visible as international supporters; and to the authorities here, who watch everything, that is good for them to see.
So much more to say, but that can wait for another day.
For now I raise a bottle of olive oil to Bashir, and all his fellow olive farmers, and I pray that they will be able to live on the land for generations to come.
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