OLIVE TREES DESTROYED TO FORCE PALESTINIANS TO LEAVE. PUNISHMENT AGAINST...NATURE???

Since 1967, Israeli soldiers and 'settlers' in occupied Palestine have destroyed 800,000 olive trees in an attempt to force Palestinian farmers from their land, writes Megan Perry. 'Our response to this injustice will never be with violence, and we will never give up and leave.'

Olive trees in the Holy Land are a renowned symbol of peace. Known as blessed trees, they are a lifeline for Palestinian subsistence farmers, providing for around 100,000 families.

But more than this, the olive trees provide a tangible link between Palestinians, their ancestors and their land.

Sadly, however, many of these trees are being violently destroyed as a form of collective punishment, in an attempt to force Palestinians from their land. Despite this desecration many Palestinian farmers are using farming as a form of resistance to fight for peace.

Since 1967, the Israeli military and illegal settlers have destroyed at least 800,000 olive trees. Some of these trees are nearly 1,000 years old - they are irreplaceable.

[...]

Soldiers or settlers arrive with little warning and bulldoze or burn the trees, sometimes using chemicals. Anna Baltzer, a Jewish American activist, witnessed this destruction, and describes how, by the time she arrived,

"The owners were hysterical. They kept screaming 'hamil!' as the ancient trees were ripped from the ground by the monstrous machines. 'Hamil' is a word that can be used to describe trees during the time that they bear fruit; it means 'pregnant'."

[...]

[Complete article in http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/2481224/bethlehem_no_matter_how_many_olive_trees_they_destroy_will_will_plant_more.html]