Demonstrative Olive Harvesting

Hundreds are coming to guard the olive harvest in the Shomron. The idea is to combine nature tourism with a strong political statement. It reminds me of the sugarcane harvest in Cuba, with thousands travelling to Communist Cuba to enjoy socialism in the tropics. The difference is that cutting sugarcane is hard work, while "protecting Palestinian farmers against the colonizers" needs no physical exertion or risk. After a two-hour walk and selfies in Samaria, rented air-conditioned buses bring them back to their luxury hotels in Tel Aviv, all under the protection of ZAHAL and the American Embassy. 

BTW, world markets are flooded with olive oil; bulk olive oil is a commodity, and the price is set by mechanised Andalusian groves. A small producer on rain-fed hill terraces cannot compete at that price.  The EU limits oil imports, and the oil from Tunisia and Morocco cannot find a market. The World Bank estimated West Bank production costs at 20–30% above Jordan and 35–40% above Turkey. Palestinian olive plantations cannot compete with imported oil, and following the reduction of customs, 35% of the area planted with olive trees was uprooted in the Galilee. Total production in the Palestinian Authority was about 15,000 tons, which is half of previous years. Yields are cyclical, and one dunam yields about 400 shekels per year (in a good year), less than a day's salary as a construction worker.