Whispers From Under The Olive Tree
Blog by Dr. Toni Pyke
“The horror of the Holocaust is not that it deviated from human norms; the horror is that it didn’t. What happened may happen again, to others not necessarily Jews, perpetrated by others, not necessarily Germans. We are all possible victims, possible perpetrators, possible bystanders”.
Being on annual leave these past weeks I have had more spare time to sit and browse through my social media. This is probably not a good thing while trying to relax on holiday with family, as my feeds are inundated with images and videos of the intensifying “carnage” carried out on children, women and men struggling to survive the violent, genocidal oppression administered by the Israeli Defence Forces in Gaza and the intensifying, nefarious behaviour of ‘settlers’ in the West Bank. Jonathan Whittall, OCHA Head of Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory recently described the situation in Gaza: “The majority of the casualties have been shot or shelled trying to reach US-Israeli distribution sites purposefully set up in militarized zones…What we are seeing is carnage. It is weaponized hunger. It is forced displacement. It’s a death sentence for people just trying to survive. All combined, it appears to be the erasure of Palestinian life from Gaza.”
There can be no-one, anywhere on this planet, who can claim ignorance of the genocide that is taking place today in Gaza. The undeniable evidence continues to mount. The protests calling for an end to the needless suffering of the Palestinian people grows stronger, as does government repression across States, for those brave enough to speak out. There should be no human heart left unbroken by these images or the witness from various sources (see for example evidence from Dr Victoria Rose; Prof Nick Maynard) reporting children targeted for assassination, mutilated from shrapnel or starved to death from food, water and baby formula prohibition. Or children distraught at the loss of one or both of their parents and other family members. Mothers and fathers at the loss of their children, holding onto their bloodied corpses. Or of the horrific scenes from inside the few hospitals that remain, to care for the wounded, with no medicine or appropriate medical equipment. Reports of other heinous crimes fill my feeds every day, for example claims of opioids discovered in the bags of flour distributed from US-Israeli aid centres, and random killings of civilians seeking food at these centres, or the mockery of the suffering of the Palestinian people. Some of these war crimes have been exposed by Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers on the frontline in a report by Haaretz newspaper (see also the Telegraph). And still the silence. The Government of Israel is continuing to flout international law in their ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for such crimes. In response, ICC staff have been targeted and harassed. What is more startling is when I try to cross-check all I read on social media – just to be sure – the deafening silence from the mass media is stunning. Despite citing impartiality, a scathing report from the Centre for Media Monitoring (CfMM) concluded otherwise. They state that the “BBC is systematically biased against Palestinians in Gaza war coverage…Analysis of 35,000+ pieces of BBC content shows Israeli deaths given 33 times more coverage, per fatality, and significantly more emotive language.” It seems the only thing that western governments can agree on is their silence and complicity. Compounding this reality are the accusations of ‘antisemitism’ directed towards anyone who finds the relentless de-humanisation of the Palestinian people abhorrent. As Majed Bamya, Palestine’s ambassador to the UN, says it is “not acceptable” to use Jewish identity as a “shield” for Israel’s crimes against Palestinian civilians. He continues that in “no way do we hold Jews around the world responsible for Israel’s actions… there are legal determinations, these are crimes that have a definition. If I say Israel commits war crimes and crimes against humanity and genocide, nobody can answer that we are fuelling antisemitism, except those who have a confusion between the acts of the Israeli government and the Jews around the world. And that’s an unacceptable confusion; we will never go there. Those responsible are those doing the act”.
As I sat surrounded by olive trees in a region of Italy best known for its olive plantations, I came across a video of illegal Israeli ‘settlers’ who had set fire to an olive grove in the town of Yabrud, near Ramallah in the West Bank and who also blocked residents from fighting the blaze. This behaviour by Israeli ‘settlers’ is not new. I found this particularly disturbing as I sat under a giant olive tree, conscious of the social, cultural and economic significance and contribution of olive trees across millennia for many countries. I was alert to the magnitude and importance of the olive tree in the Apuglia region where I was staying, where this connection runs deep. In recent years, thousands of olive trees across Apuglia have been afflicted by Xylella fastidiosa, a bacteria that is transmitted by sap-sucking insects that are ruining olive groves and livelihoods across the region, not to mention the resulting hike in olive oil prices in our supermarkets. At present there is no cure for the infection, so across acres of land you see age-old olive trees that have produced years of harvest that have been cut down, burned or left to die. To the people of Apuglia, this is a heavy loss. One never really appreciates the cultural significance of identity and personhood linked to the land, connecting farmers with their ancestors, preserving age-old techniques in the process. For Italians the olive tree represents hope, prosperity and peace. The olive branch has historically been a symbol of peace across millennia for ancient Greek and Roman customs. Olive oil is often used to bless homes and share during festive occasions. It is used for healing and is a staple in all Mediterranean diets. For Christians, the olive tree is a symbol of peace and reconciliation, referenced throughout the Bible. Just before his arrest, Christ’s agonised prayer, took place in the Garden of Gethsemane, a place of many olive trees and whose name means “olive press.” The significance of the olive tree for Palestinian people is well known. The olive tree is an essential aspect of their heritage and identity, mentioned in the Bible, Koran and Torah. It symbolises resilience, hope and perseverance and is deeply valued for its ability to thrive and take root deep in lands where water is scarce. As such, the unchallenged, premeditated torching of Palestinian olive trees in the West Bank is further confirmation of ethnic cleansing.
I find it increasingly challenging to make any sense of what is going on in our world today and have great difficulty in trying to rationalise this to my children. There is no defending what is going on right now in Gaza and the West Bank. Indeed, the attack on October 7 was a deep shock and loss to the people of Israel and the global community, which turned a new chapter in the ongoing struggle between the Israeli government and Hamas.
In a recent address to participants in the plenary session of the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches (ROACO) Pope Leo XIV said: “Herod, for fear of being deposed, murdered children, who even today continue to be torn apart by bombs; Pilate washed his hands, as we risk doing every day until we arrive at the point of no return.” Is our silence and inaction in stopping the genocide an indication of the normalising of violence, lies and indifference that chips away our humanity? The shattered lives and traumatic reality of the children of Gaza will be forever a stain on the landscape of humanity.
Pope Francis in his encyclical Fratelli Tutti repeated that, “Every human being has the right to live with dignity and to develop integrally; this fundamental right cannot be denied by any country” [FT 107]. He reminded us of John’s message that “God is love and those who abide in love abide in God” (1 Jn 4:16). This love is the foundation of Christian faith through its commandment to love (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Pope Francis was not averse to the ‘signs of the times’ and indeed made extensive reference to the “dark clouds” that cover our common home. However, he encouraged that despite this, there is hope, “For God continues to sow abundant seeds of goodness in our human family and hope” [FT 54]. And, as the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu often praised, hope ‘is contagious’. Therefore, we must not ‘wash our hands’ of the suffering of others. We are called to be bearers of the truth and to spread “renewed hope” for a just world. This means taking action. As people of faith we have in Christ, the blueprint of our responsibility to ‘see, judge, act’ as outlined in Catholic Social Teaching.
“I say to all those leaders, do not look the other way. Do not hesitate… It is within your power to avoid a genocide of humanity.”
Nelson Mandela
Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese illustrates that: “if it were a crime scene, Palestine would have the fingerprints of all of us. From what we buy, where we put our savings, where our pensions come from, the technology we use. Because if the genocide has not stopped, it is also because it is a lucrative endeavour”. She presents a recent UN report titled: A/HRC/59/23: From economy of occupation to economy of genocide – Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, which exposes the corporate forces that have enabled and legitimised Israel’s illegal presence and actions behind the destruction of Palestine. One action we can all take is to speak out and boycott the structures that facilitate and profit from genocide. For example, last week AMRI, along with other faith-based organisations presented a letter to the Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland to demand that the institution immediately end the regulation of the sale of Israel Bonds in Europe which are openly marked as “war bonds”. Boycotts have been very effective in the past, for example against apartheid in South Africa – remember the ‘Dunnes Stores workers’?. Individually, we can boycott the many products and services that line our shelves and online shopping. I have found www.boycott-israel.org helpful, which lists the products and services. The UN Special Rapporteur report also provides a useful list. The long established Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign also has “A Quick Guide to help Boycott Israeli Goods” on their website. Join a local or national protest, demonstration, march around the country to ensure that the violence being perpetrated on the people of Palestine is not in your name.
It is also critical that we remain informed and impartial. Seek out on the ground eye-witness accounts (see on-the ground reflections from the Holy Land for example). Demand that agreed international law is observed and that the senseless massacre of innocent children, women and men must stop.
See. Judge. Act.
FIRST THEY CAME
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
Pastor Martin Niemöller
(1892-1984)
