University alumni support Palestinian olive farmers in Beita after Israeli settler attacks

Birzeit University alumni picked olives with Palestinian farmers in Beita, a besieged village located in the governorate of Nablus that has been targeted by dozens of settlers under the protection of the Israeli military occupation.

The voluntary event, organized by Birzeit University’s alumni program on October 30, 2021, strengthens the resilience of Palestinian farmers who face restrictions on accessing their land and continuous harassment by Israeli settlers and occupation forces.

The group of alumni went on a tour of the village, visiting Jabal Sabih, where the Israeli occupying forces built an outpost on 35 dunams of seized Palestinian lands, preventing around 30,000 residents from accessing their fields and properties. The alumni also visited Jabal al-Arma (Urmah Mountain), which has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance against Israeli settlements since 2019.

Hadeel Hijaz, the alumni program officer at Birzeit University, emphasized the importance of alumni participating in the olive-picking season to strengthen their affiliation, as Palestinians, with the land. She highlighted the role of the university’s alumni in contributing to their communities, which does not end with their graduation but “is continuous and sustainable,” as she pointed out.