A prominent Israeli rabbi has issued a religious ruling permitting settlers to steal olives from Palestinian orchards in the occupied West Bank, sparking widespread condemnation. The ruling coincides with attacks on Palestinian farmers, leaving at least 19 injured in 34 incidents.
01Summary
- 01Rabbi Dov Lior's ruling claims Jews may take olives from Palestinian landowners who could not access their crops due to Israeli restrictions, calling the theft an 'additional virtue'.
- 02At least 19 people were injured in 34 attacks by the Israeli military and settlers on Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest on Friday.
- 03An American photojournalist for The Washington Post was assaulted by settlers, and five vehicles were torched.
- 04Rabbis from the Gush Etzion settlements and the Tzohar organisation rejected the ruling, calling it theft, blasphemy and a moral defect.
- 05Lior is the spiritual guide for the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
02Why it matters
The ruling directly affects Palestinian farmers' ability to harvest their crops amid escalating settler violence, and highlights the influence of hardline religious figures on Israeli politics just weeks before elections.
Pulse AIAsk about this story
Answers are generated by AI from the story summary; they are not investment, health or legal advice.
