In recent years, there is growing awareness of the PA’s attempts to takeover vast areas, especially in Area C (full Israeli control), State lands, and other strategic regions in Judea and Samaria, as part of their efforts to establish a de facto "Palestinian state."
The importance that the PA places on this issue can be seen in statements made by PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
Several years ago, Abbas said, “The Ministry of Agriculture is the heart of the Palestinian Nation’s defense, seriously. Because what is our struggle against the Jews about? Our struggle is not about wealth. This Ministry is the first line fighting for land.”
An extensive investigation by HaKol HaYehudi has revealed for the first time now, that in addition to the PA, the terror group Hamas has played a crucial role in the agricultural jihad. These efforts are funded by charities affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood that have been declared terror groups. Throughout the period of these efforts, Israeli authorities have failed to recognize and take action on the issue.
These efforts involve the financing of hundreds of thousands of olive trees that are distributed to Arabs in Judea and Samaria and even in the Gaza Strip, with the intent to be planted near Jewish communities and security fences, thus reducing the buffer zone around Jewish communities.
What the media doesn’t report
Telegram
Whatsap
In parallel to the demonstrations that led the security buffer along the Gaza border to be reduced, here too these efforts increase the risk of terror attacks and infiltration. Notably, the demonstrations in Gaza also involved petitions to the Israeli Supreme Court, a pattern observed here too. Currently, the olive trees that have already been planted serve as cover for terrorists who carry out shootings along the Green Line.
The tree-planting efforts are now ongoing for over 15 years and have picked up steam in recent years.
The main financial conduit for the millions of dollars spent on purchasing these trees has come through UK-registered organizations linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, which provide funds to the Zakat Al-Quds Charity Committee – a Hamas affiliate focused on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. From there the funds are transferred to pay for and distribute trees in Judea and Samaria.
The Charity Coalition of the Muslim Brotherhood was established with the support senior Hamas leaders at the beginning of the second intifada in October 2000. It is designed to act as an umbrella organization collecting funds for Hamas from extremist Islamic supporters around the world.
The coalition includes over 50 Islamic foundations and has transferred hundreds of millions of dollars to Hamas in Gaza and Judea and Samaria over the years. Outwardly, the donations claim to fund civilian activities – schools, welfare programs, orphans, and agriculture.
However, during the second intifada, Israel recognized and definitively proved via seized documents that the funds supposedly transferred to support Hamas's civilian infrastructure ultimately went for terrorism, including suicide bombings. This led Israel to outlaw the coalition and 50 organizations that were part of it, with all the groups being declared terrorist organizations. Even today in the Gaza Strip, a significant portion of Hamas’ funds continues to flow through these organizations.
Now, back to the Olive Tree Project. Two of these organizations are UK registered, namely Muslim Hands and Human Appeal International.
These organizations have been operating for around 20 years providing olive trees. According to Muslim Hands' publications, in 2021 the organization donated 67,000 olive trees at a cost of 550,000 pounds to "farmers in Palestine."
The organization calls on Muslims to donate an olive tree in Palestine for 15 British Pounds. One finding from the investigation is the unusual marketing used by the organization. In their English publications, they suggest that the olive trees are meant to help address "the climate crisis." In contrast, publications in Arabic highlight that the aid is for “poor farmers in Palestine." Furthermore, in Arabic publications in Judea and Samaria the group describes its efforts as a nationalist struggle for land.
Another organization donating olive trees is the UK-registered Human Appeal International. In a video published in 2014, the organization announced their goal to donate a 800,000 olive trees over the coming years. Notably, this group also operates in the Gaza Strip, as well as Judea and Samaria.
The organization implementing the project in practice is the Zakat Al-Quds Charity Committee. This group operates under the auspices of the Jordanian Waqf, but in practice is a Hamas affiliate in Jerusalem. The organization's offices are located on the Temple Mount and in the Old City. About two years ago, the organization and its leaders were indicted for being a Hamas-affiliate working to advance Hamas's aims in Jerusalem with tens of millions of shekels.
According to the indictment, the organization's Director, Khaled Sabah, also served as a financier for Hamas Jerusalem and was officially appointed as Hamas’ head in Jerusalem. Following the indictment, the organization was ordered dissolved by the court, but its offices continues to operate on the Temple Mount.
After the UK-registered charities transfer the funds, their actual disbursement is managed by the Zakat Al-Quds Charity Committee.
The Zakat Al-Quds Charity Committee coordinates with municipalities and village councils in Judea and Samaria, which inform their residents about the potential for receiving trees according to various criteria. Documents identified by HaKol HaYehudi show that a primary criterion for receiving trees is that they be planted in Area C and areas near the security fence along the Green Line, with a strategic aim of controlling these areas.
Aside from taking over land, the criteria for tree distribution reflect an aim of reducing the security buffer zones around Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria and along the Green Line.
These efforts in distributing trees also increase Hamas's standing among the Arab population in Judea and Samaria, which benefits from the foreign aid coming via the terror group.
After applications are reviewed, a list of farmers who received trees is published, which contains the address, the number of olive trees (usually 20 trees per dunam), the size of the plot, and the name of the organization that donated them. The olive trees are typically planted mature, about three years old.
From publications found on social networks, it appears that in January and February 2022, thousands of trees were distributed in villages in Judea and Samaria, including in Awarta, Kafr Qaddum, Beit Duqqu, Deir Abu Mashaal, Yatma, and others. These trees were all provided by the two UK-registered Muslim Brotherhood affiliates.
The Zakat Al-Quds Charity Committee was praised by the villages and municipalities that received the trees as well as by Ayman Ghraieb, a released terrorist and leader in the PA’s Committee against Fences and Settlements, who stated that agriculture is the best defense against Jewish settlement.
Towards the end of 2022, the UK-registered groups announced another distribution of olive trees across at least 15 villages across Judea and Samaria.
Among the villages receiving trees were Dahria, Samu, and Bani Na'im in the Hebron Hills; Asira al-Shamaliya, Qira, Attil, Balaa, Madama, Zita, Jius, Azun Atma, Sarta, Sneria, Beit Amin, Dia al-Ghusun, Brokin, Aja, and A’raaneh, Jalma, Anza, and Yamun in Samaria; Silwad and Atara in Benjamin; and the village of Soreif in Gush Etzion.
Special emphasis was placed on distributing trees to villages near the separation fence in the Gilboa region near Jenin and in the Sharon region near Tulkarem.
Since the funding for the purchase and distribution of the olive trees came from outlawed groups who were part of the Charity Coalition, the olive trees can also be legally classified as the “property of terrorist organizations.”
A legal opinion from the "Lavi" organization argued that this allows security forces to confiscate the trees, uproot them even if they are planted on privately owned land, and arrest those involved for supporting a terrorist organizations. In addition the opinion stated that legal actions can be taken against the trucks transporting the trees and the nurseries selling the trees, which knowingly received millions of shekels from terrorist groups as part of the project.
It should be emphasized that the opinion held that enforcement could be carried out regardless of whether the trees were planted in Areas A, B, or C, as the laws on confiscating property of terrorist organizations do not discriminate based on the legal status of of the land.
HaKol HaYehudi provided information about the tree planting project, the documents proving that the funding came from declared terrorist organizations, and the legal opinion to authorities who carried out a rare enforcement operation in Kislev 5783 (December 2022). The operation involved police, the IDF, and the Civil Administration, as well as land surveyors from the Samaria Regional Council, and resulted in the seizure of two trucks and about 2,000 olive trees on their way to the villages of Awarta and Zeita Jamma'in.
Following the operation, the UK-affiliates announced that tens of thousands of trees would not be distributed in Judea and Samaria that year, and no public announcements have been made about distribution operations since then.
The Zakat Al-Quds Charity Committee publishes annual calls for the supply of olive trees, with various garden nurseries participating in the tenders and receiving funding from the terror affiliate.
HaKol HaYehudi’s investigation revealed that several specific nurseries are awarded most of the tenders. A few of the nurseries are located in the village of Shuwayka near Tulkarem and have been supplying olive trees for several years. These nurseries occupy extensive land near the separation fence, sometimes coming right up to the fence itself.
These nurseries are in violation of laws on financing terrorism and engage in activities worth millions of shekels annually. According to the legal opinion, actions can be taken against them, including confiscation of their property, arrests, and the closure of the nurseries.
For example, a nursery belonging to Najeep Mahmoud Naalwa is notable. Muhammad, the son of the owner, has been imprisoned for security offenses in recent years. In an interview with an Arab media outlet, the son stated that the nursery is used as a "Sumud" (struggle) against the "occupation's harassment" near the separation fence. Naalwa has also publicly supported his relative, the terrorist Ashraf Naalwa, who murdered Kim Levengrod Yehezkel and Ziv Hagbi in a terror attack at the Barkan Industrial Park.
It is no coincidence that the area near the nurseries also serves as a source of regular shooting towards Bat Hefer and other Jewish communities inside the Green Line. The olive trees and agricultural lands encroach right up to the separation fence and are only about 100 meters from the homes of Jewish communities on the other side of the fence.
Will the defense establishment finally recognize the importance of addressing the Agricultural Intifada now that the headlines have begun reporting on the shootings over the Green Line? HaKol HaYehudi will continue to follow up.
Next Week: Part II of the investigation – Hamas-affiliates from Jordan fund trees in Gush Etzion and exploit Civil Administration regulations
