Israeli Rabbi Issues Ruling Permitting the Theft of Palestinian Olives

Occupied West Bank | October 16, 2026

Hardline Israeli rabbi Dov Lior has reportedly issued a religious ruling permitting settlers to harvest olives from Palestinian groves in the occupied West Bank, including areas far from Israeli settlements.

Lior claimed that

“Arabs never purchased the land from Jews, and therefore they are illegally occupying it,”

arguing that harvesting Palestinian olives demonstrates Jewish ownership of the land.

🫒 The disturbing irony: This ruling comes as Palestinian farmers face escalating settler attacks, including the burning of olive trees, theft of harvests, and physical assaults on landowners.

On October 16 alone, several Palestinian villages reportedly experienced settler attacks during the olive harvest, resulting in injuries and property damage.

Even the Israeli rabbinical organization Tzohar condemned the ruling, emphasizing that theft is forbidden regardless of whether the victim is Jewish or non-Jewish.

Palestine is not a land without owners, and its olives are not spoils for settlers. What is happening is not merely the theft of a harvest, but an assault on Palestinian land, livelihoods, and their deep historical connection to their homeland.