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

Bethlehem Hidden from View

Bethlehem Hidden from View – a glimpse of Bethlehem today by Canon Garth Hewitt, director of Amos Trust.

The time will come when you will be asked where were you when these crimes were committed against the people of Palestine?

When you celebrate Christmas, please think of the prison camp that is now Bethlehem.

Each time a bottle of Peace Oil is sold in St Mary’s, please think of the Pariah state that you are supporting.

How will you answer on Judgement Day when the sheep are separated from the goats and Jesus asks: What did you do when my people in Palestine cried out for help?

For some, Christmas is not so merry.

Also see

Norman Finkelstein vs Wolf Blitzer – Israel/Palestine Double Standards

Israel boots activists out over standing up for Palestinians

Israeli Occupation Soldiers Enjoy Destruction of Palestinian Homes

street theatre Israeli Apartheid Wall

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