The day began very early for nearly 20 of the participants, who gathered at 7 am at the site of the construction of the Apartheid Wall currently underway near Rachel’s Tomb. The group stood vigil and took photographs for about an hour while workers and equipment, along with armed security personnel, began work on the Wall in this area, located next to several homes and businesses. The group plans to return daily to this site throughout their stay here.
The village of Nahalin, near Beit Jala and close to the Israeli settlement of Har Gilo, was the site for this full day of olive picking for the group. The trees are located on the farm of Mustafa Safi, 66, who was delighted to have, for the first time, international volunteers help with his harvest. Several of Mustafa’s relatives and neighbours were also on hand to assist with the work. He has three grown sons, two living in the United States and one currently living in Jordan.
The group harvested olives from approximately 20 trees and many were encouraged by the amount and quality of olives produced by the nearly 70-year-old trees. Mustafa’s land borders the fence next to the settler by-pass road and the houses of the Har Gilo settlement. Mr. Safi lost several dunams of his land back in 1982 during construction of Har Gilo. He also reported that several months ago, the Israeli government set on fire and burned many of his trees in the area right next to the fence, ostensibly for “security reasons�.
Unfortunately, the worst may still be yet to come for Mr. Safi’s farm. He has been told that the projected path of the Wall is through his property, and he has no idea if he will even be able to access his olive trees, or the other fruit trees on which his livelihood also depends, this time next year. 
After a busy day picking olives, the group was extremely tired and especially hungry; unfortunately, the lunch delivery planned for them for the afternoon was stopped at a checkpoint outside the village and not allowed entry. A taxi from the village had to be dispatched to the checkpoint to pick up the food, which was eventually transferred to a donkey that completed the delivery of the lunches to the hungry pickers!
The evening’s activities took place at the Alternative Information Center / Jadal Center in Beit Sahour. Several Beit Sahour natives, members of the musical Makamaat Band, performed live a program that included traditional Palestinian songs, along with other selections. The enthusiastic audience clapped and sang along and also enjoyed a short dance performance. The group ended the set with the Palestinian National Anthem.Â
