Hardline Israeli rabbi ruling on stolen Palestinian olives prompts uproar

Live updates

1. 1h ago

   Hardline Israeli Rabbi Ruling on Stolen Palestinian Olives Sparks Outrage

   A religious decree by prominent Israeli Rabbi Dov Lior permitting settlers to harvest olives from Palestinian orchards in the occupied West Bank has ignited widespread condemnation and political uproar. The ruling argues that Palestinian landowners barred from their fields by Israeli restrictions have received sufficient past compensation and states that Jews may pick the fruit to claim ownership of the land. This controversy coincides with escalating violence during the olive harvest, marked by settler attacks on Palestinian villagers, European diplomats, and journalists including a Washington Post photographer.

   Why it matters

   The religious ruling arrives amid a tense olive harvest season in the West Bank marked by frequent settler violence, including the torching of trees and cars. Political leaders have responded differently to the ground violence, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemning violence while casting doubt on a documented settler assault on a US photographer, while figures like Huckabee called that attack a despicable act of terror requiring lengthy prison sentences. The convergence of religious decrees and physical attacks on journalists and civilians increases tensions ahead of upcoming Israeli elections.

   What is confirmed

   • Prominent Israeli Rabbi Dov Lior issued a ruling permitting settlers to pick and take olives from Palestinian orchards in the occupied West Bank.
   • Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinians, journalists, and European diplomats, burning olive trees and cars in West Bank villages during the harvest season.

   What to watch next

   • Further responses or policy shifts from Israeli leadership regarding settler violence and the rabbi's ruling.
   • Progress on police probes into the documented attacks on journalists and European diplomats in the West Bank.
   Sources used for this update (18)

   1. help.naver.com — Futures Flat As Oil Rebounds After Trump's "Energy Ceasefire" Unravels, Memory Stocks Slide | ZeroHedge
   2. flipboard.com — Beloved singer’s wife killed after welcoming robbery suspects with lemonade
   3. Reuters — Israeli settlers burn olive trees, injure journalist in West Bank attack
   4. NPR — Israeli settlers beat Palestinians and a U.S. photojournalist in West Bank attacks
   5. The New York Times — Israeli Settlers Attack Palestinians and Washington Post Journalist in West Bank
   6. The Washington Post — Congress members condemn Israeli settler attack on Washington Post photographer
   7. Al Jazeera — Hardline Israeli rabbi ruling on stolen Palestinian olives prompts uproar
   8. The Times of Israel — Police say probe launched into footage of settler attack on European diplomats
   9. The Washington Post — Press Freedom This Week: Washington Post photographer attacked by Israeli settlers in West Bank
   10. The Times of Israel — Netanyahu condemns violence but casts doubt on documented settler assault of US photographer
   11. The Times of Israel — Huckabee casts attack on WaPo photographer 'despicable act of terror,' says perpetrators should spend years in jail
   12. The Jerusalem Post — Huckabee condemns 'despicable' attack on photojournalist Heidi Levine in West Bank, demands arrests
   confidence 100%