Global 'Ethical' Brands Profit As Israeli Occupation Attacks Palestinian Agriculture
📰 THE STORY: The New Arab features Canaan Palestine, a fair-trade olive oil producer, celebrating its work in supporting thousands of Palestinian farmers and promoting their ancient heritage and products globally as a form of non-violent resistance. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: Since the Nakba in 1948, over 800,000 olive trees have been uprooted, burned, or otherwise
destroyed by Israeli settlers and military, particularly in the West Bank. This isn't just property damage; it's a deliberate act of economic warfare and ethnic cleansing, targeting a cornerstone of Palestinian identity and livelihood. For example, a 2012 UN report detailed over 10,000 olive trees destroyed in a single year. The olive tree holds deep cultural and economic significance, often being
hundreds of years old and passed down through generations. Eradicating them is an attempt to erase Palestinian presence. Double Standard: Imagine if environmental groups celebrated the 'resilience' of farmers in California still producing crops after a state-sponsored drought wiped out 80% of their fields, rather than condemning the government responsible. Western media often frames Palestinian
'resistance' in terms of individual spirit against hardship, instead of focusing on the deliberate, state-sponsored violence and land theft that necessitates such resilience. When Indigenous lands are seized for resource extraction in, say, Canada or Brazil, the narrative correctly focuses on forced displacement and human rights abuses, not just the 'beauty' of native crafts. Follow the Money: The