So UN day is a vewy thpethial day during which the peoples of the world are reminded about UN's core values of peace and fluffiness. This year UN day in Israel was celebrated in the outskirts of the Palestinian Ramallah in the centre of the West Bank--in a small town called Turmus Ayya. When practising their love of living too close for comfort to Palestinians, Jewish settlers have graced the Turmus Ayya neighbourhood with a whole lot of their kind, in a 2300-strong settlement called Shilo (ya Brangelina's love child!).
Anyway, as everyone knows settlers like to live in style, and by style I mean machine guns and crop devastation. So, this year the settlers didn't disappoint, having uprooted a cropload of olive trees and flooded others with poison and sewage (click for a creepy picture of settlers in the bushes). Note: olive harvest is nearly the main source of food and income for West Bank Palestinians, and is generally a symbol of Palestine. In Turmus Ayya the super funny Shilo residents allegedly decided to flood the olive groves with chemicals and sewage... why do they do this, you ask? I don't have a definitive answer to that.. one theory postulated by leading scientists states that it could have something to do with the fact that they live off benefits and have absolutely nothing else to do. Also something about the Messiah, but let's not dwell too much on that.
So on UN day in Turmus Ayya around 300 UN staff and volunteers, matched by possibly as much media, showed up to help the villagers with the olive harvest. The avid gardener Salam Fayyad (prime minister of Palestine) came too, casually declaring that the state of Palestine will be viable by August of next year (woot?). Anyway who doesn't like picking olives? I know I do.
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PS: I also found out that raw olives taste like toilet duck. Did you know that?
Anyway, as everyone knows settlers like to live in style, and by style I mean machine guns and crop devastation. So, this year the settlers didn't disappoint, having uprooted a cropload of olive trees and flooded others with poison and sewage (click for a creepy picture of settlers in the bushes). Note: olive harvest is nearly the main source of food and income for West Bank Palestinians, and is generally a symbol of Palestine. In Turmus Ayya the super funny Shilo residents allegedly decided to flood the olive groves with chemicals and sewage... why do they do this, you ask? I don't have a definitive answer to that.. one theory postulated by leading scientists states that it could have something to do with the fact that they live off benefits and have absolutely nothing else to do. Also something about the Messiah, but let's not dwell too much on that.
So on UN day in Turmus Ayya around 300 UN staff and volunteers, matched by possibly as much media, showed up to help the villagers with the olive harvest. The avid gardener Salam Fayyad (prime minister of Palestine) came too, casually declaring that the state of Palestine will be viable by August of next year (woot?). Anyway who doesn't like picking olives? I know I do.
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Fellow harvest supporters--they were adorable (I mean the kids, duh :P) Some of Shilo settlement is visible in the background... they didn't even come down to help, jeez what grumpy neighbours :(
UN envoy Robert Serry showing Al Jazeera how it's done
Tis me, olive fan numero uno
Prime minister Salam Fayyad and UN envoy Robert Serry sitting in a tree?
My best friends for the day. That flag is now mine. Selling it for $500 (hey, it's valuable memorabilia)
O hai Yasser
So overall the harvest day in Turmus Ayya was a success, I was a little disappointed that Shilo residents didn't come to help out--it's not like they don't have the time, right? I was particularly impressed with the Palestinian kids who were the most hard working and friendly. If you are ever in the region around October and dangerous olive picking is your kind of pastime, Turmusayya residents would love to hear from you! Ta da.PS: I also found out that raw olives taste like toilet duck. Did you know that?
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