Mog’s Deli

Mog’s Deli

olive oil

Mog’s Deli

I passed a shop I had not noticed before, Mog’s Deli, a coffee shop cum deli.

I bought some ham, which proved not to be very good. I would have expected a deli to have much better quality ham.

The coffee, a brand coffee, why not from one of the many small coffee roasters? Union hand roasted, Winchester coffee roasters, Allpress?

Very charming and helpful girls.

I had chat with one of the girls, and she said they had all been trained in coffee making.

Large glass jars full of olive oil. These used to fill lovely glass bottles, which are then corked. Customers can bring their bottles back for a refill.

Nicely done out.

Mog’s Deli, another example of clueless in the use of social media. If you want people to read your tweets, do not use facebook robots to send out meaningless tweets. If you cannot be bothered to write a tweet, why expect anyone be bothered to read them?

• PHOTOS Mog’s Deli

Keep Hope Alive

Keep Hope Alive is a project that plants olive trees to replace those destroyed by Israelis.

Every year Israel destroys Palestinian olive groves, prevents Palestinians from harvesting their olive crops, prevents them from exporting their olive oil.

In the UK you can support the Palestinians by buying fairtrade Zaytoun olive oil. In the US by buying fairtrade Peace Oil. But please do not buy Peace Oil in the UK which is an Israeli product.

Shame on St Mary’s Church in Guildford and the hypocrisy of the rector for permitting the sale of Israeli so-called Peace Oil in the church. [see Peace Oil or taking the piss?]

Also see

Keep hope alive- The Olive Tree Campaign

Picking olives under occupation

Peace Oil

Peace Oil or taking the piss?

Nablus: The Business of Occupation

Sindyanna of Galilee – fair trade for a fair society

BDS Movement Victory: John Lewis Stops Stocking Ahava Products in Britain

Picking olives under occupation

Families in the village of Qusin with properties close to the illegal settlements Shave Shomeron and Shave Shomron, make an attempt to harvest their olives but soldiers forced them to leave.

One of these families has been unable to access their land for the last nine years due to settler attacks and pressure from Israeli soldiers. Another family tried to pick olives about ten days ago but soldiers arrived and stopped them.

According to the Israeli High Court of Justice decision, Palestinian farmers have the right to access their land and soldiers must protect them. Immediately upon the families’ arrival at their land, however, soldiers confronted them and argued that for the protection of them from settler violence, it was necessary for the farmers to leave.

Also see

Qusin farmers face difficulty in olive harvest

Israeli Apartheid – A talk by Ben White

Zaytoun fairtrade Palestinian olive oil

Nablus: The Business of Occupation

Israel boots activists out over standing up for Palestinians

Sindyanna of Galilee – fair trade for a fair society

Sindyanna of Galilee is one of three fair trade groups that supplies olive oil for Peace Oil (USA not UK). The excellent videos gives you an idea of what this group has achieved in Israel Palestine. Sindyanna provides a framework for cooperation between the Arab and Jewish communities in Northern Israel, improving life for both peoples.

Sindyanna of Galilee is a fair trade organization active in the Arab-Palestinian community in Israel, marketing quality olive oil, olive oil soap, za’atar, woven palm baskets and more.

Established in 1996, Sindyanna of Galilee is a registered non-profit organization. Led by women striving for a social change, it operates in the Arab population in the Galilee region, northern Israel, and seeks to help growers and producers from the Palestinian Occupied Territories. Furthermore, Sindyanna combines commercial activity with work in the community, thereby enhancing Arab women’s empowerment while developing the olive industry. Our focal points stress values such as land preservation, environmental considerations, and commerce on the principle of fair trade.

Sindyanna symbolizes a unique cooperation between Arabs and Jews, striving to strengthen the economy of the Arab-Palestinian population, both in Israel and in the Occupied Territories. Sindyanna is not only a means of helping farmers and growers from the South, but also a way of showing that a solution to the Middle East conflict starts at opening real economic opportunities.

Also see

Zaytoun fairtrade Palestinian olive oil

Nablus: The Business of Occupation

Peace Oil

Peace Oil or taking the piss?

Peace Oil in Guildford

Zaytoun fairtrade Palestinian olive oil

Zaytoun fairtrade olive oil from Palestine.

Palestine is the home of the olive tree, with some of the oldest olive groves in the world, some dating as far back as 1500 to 2000 years. The olive trees produce fruit that supports over half the population and can be seen dominating the agricultural landscape.

The Mediterranean climate, rich fertile soil and use of organic traditional farming methods, makes Zaytoun’s Palestinian olive oil a world outstanding product.

Also see

PFTA (Palestinian Fair Trade Association)

Al Zaytouna awarded Fairtrade mark

Interfaith group for Morally Responsible Investment with respect to Israel/Palestine

Picking olives under occupation

Peace Oil

Peace Oil or taking the piss?

Nablus: The Business of Occupation

Sindyanna of Galilee – fair trade for a fair society

Nablus: The Business of Occupation

An old soap factory, a modern olive oil plant and two import-export agents struggle to do business in Nablus under the Israeli occupation.

Also see

Picking olives under occupation

Peace Oil

Peace Oil or taking the piss?

Budrus

Peace Oil

extra virgin, cold-pressed, single estate olive oil

A few years ago I was at the Beyond TV International Film Festival in Swansea. A few of the film-makers had been in Palestine filming and helping to bring in the olive harvest. They brought back with them olive oil. It was one of the best olive oils I had tasted. I always regretted I had not brought any back home with me.

Peace Oil is an olive oil from Israel. It is a high quality, single estate, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. It is produced by Druze, Jews, Arabs and Bedouin working together (but not a cooperative). The trees are in the foothills of the Carmel Mountains. The olives are cold pressed within hours of being picked.

Not cheap, but then the monies raised (it is claimed) goes to help support peace and reconciliation work in the Middle East.

Strange no fairtrade logo for all that is claimed!

I found this olive oil on sale by Card Aid in St Mary’s Church in Guildford.

The question to always ask is who profits from the occupation? Israeli and international corporations are directly involved in the occupation: in the construction of Israeli colonies and infrastructure in the occupied territories, in the settlements’ economy, in building walls and checkpoints, in the supply of specific equipment used in the control and repression of the civilian population under occupation.

I found on asking questions that it is not all these different groups working together but an Israeli farm employing Palestinians. I found a complete lack of transparency where the profits are going but I did learn a donation was made to a slimming club.

If you want to make a difference then buy fairtrade Palestinian olive oil, for example Zaytoun. If you wish to help Middle East Peace initiatives, then make a donation to FRRME.

Also see

Peace Oil or taking the piss?

Good gifts from the Holy Land—are they really?

War of words over an oil named Peace

Is charity Peace Oil really the best way to help the Middle East?

A Tale of Two Peace Oils

“Peace” oil?

Israel Expo Day

Israeli settlers are raping our land and will never leave

Nablus: The Business of Occupation

Budrus

Zaytoun fairtrade Palestinian olive oil

A cross of olive wood

A cross of olive wood

“A holding cross is designed not so much to look right as to feel right. The cross is deliberately uneven, in order to fit between your fingers more comfortably than a ‘correctly shaped’ cross would do. Because a holding cross is not decorated or ornamental, it is a harsh reminder of the wood of the cross of Jesus.” — Angela Ashwin

An unusual shaped cross, made of highly polished olive wood. It feels smooth to the touch, fits snugly in the hand.

The cross is made from wood from an olive tree, wood that has been dried for five years.

The cross is carved in the Holy Land, at a workshop in Beit Sahour, near Bethlehem. Packed for shipment in a house in the Old City of Jerusalem. Imported into the UK by Marie Wilkinson.

Because they are hand-carved no two crosses are alike. Each cross is unique.

Anything that helps Palestinians survive the brutality of Israeli occupation is to be welcome. Anyone who doubts that brutality should read ‘The Last Taboo’ in Freedom Next Time by John Pilger or Fateful Triangle by Noam Chomsky.

A few years ago I was with friends at the Beyond TV International Film Festival in Swansea. They had helped bring in the olive harvest in occupied Palestine. When not destroying the crop, Israelis make it nigh impossible to harvest. The olive oil they brought back was delicious. Whilst not carrying a Fair Trade logo it was ethically produced. Please encourage your local deli and other outlets to stock Palestinian Olive Oil as every little helps.

I came across this holding cross, as these types of cross are known, in Triangle, a Christian bookshop cum teashop.

Also see

The Cross

Holding the Cross