Burin (Yitzhar)
I joined a group of the "Law Abiders" organization (Rabbais for Human Rights) volunteers, for olive picking at the village of Burin who were "lucky enough" to be surrounded by sympathetic and well-meaning neighbors: The settlements of Yitzhar and Beraha – blessing (which is cynically nicknamed by the Hebrew speaking locals "Kelala" – curse.
The family which we joined was relatively small: just a man, a woman and their 22 year old son who was joined by his friend as a paid help. The olives in this grove were bigger (Mansenilo?) and it was surprising to discover the difference even between one tree to the other in this orchard. I already felt as a little bit more skilled olive picker, and we worked the whole day without disturbance.
On the next day a group of volunteers from the same organization which worked in the orchard near Itamar were violently attacked by a veiled settler who hit the head of the organization, the Rabbai Arik Asherman, and threatened him with a knife.
One week, two olive pickings. Tuesday in Qira and today in Burin.
Burin (Yitzhar)
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Burin (Yitzhar)
This is a Palestinian village in the Nablus governorate, a little south of Nablus, on the main road passing through the West Bank. The settlements: Yitzhar and Har Bracha, settled in locations that surrounded the village, placed fences so it is cut off the main road.
There are around 4000 inhabitants. Most of them are engaged in agriculture and pasture, although many graduates of the two secondary schools continue to study at the university. Academic positions are hardly available, they find work as builderd, or leave for the Gulf countries.
The village lands were appropriated several times for the establishment of Israeli settlements and military bases, and as a result, Burin's land and water resources dwindled. lSince 1982, more than 2,000 dunams of village land have been declared "state land" and then transferred to Har Bracha settlement.
Over the past few years and more so since 2017, the villagers have been terrorized by the residents of Yitzhar and Har Bracha, the Givat Ronen outpost and others. Despite the close proximity of soldiers to an IDF base close to one of the village's schools, residents are suffering from numerous stone-throwing events, vehicle and fire arson, also reported in the press.
In 2023, the prevention of the olive harvest in the village plot was more violent than ever. Soldiers and settlers walked with drawn weapons between the houses of the village and demanded that people stop harvesting in the village itself and in the private plots outside the village. The settlers from Yitzhar and Giv'at Roned raided the olive groves and stole crops. 300 olive trees belonging to the residents of Burin, near Yitzhar, were uprooted. The loss of livelihood from the olives causes long-term economic damage to the farmers' families, bringing them to the point of starvation.
(updated for November 2023)
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