Rabbi Dov Lior rules: Harvesting olives of the enemy is a commandment of conquering the land

Rabbi Dov Lior published a halachic ruling permitting the harvesting of olives from trees planted by Arabs in Judea and Samaria, arguing that the land was never legally purchased by them and is therefore 'stolen'. The ruling comes amid a rise in security incidents around the harvest, according to data from the Binyamin Council.

Rabbi Dov Lior, a senior figure among religious Zionist rabbis, published a halachic ruling permitting the harvesting of olives from trees planted by Arabs in Judea and Samaria, even in areas far from Jewish settlements. According to the rabbi, this act fulfills the commandment of conquering the land and reveals Jewish ownership of the land. In the detailed ruling, Rabbi Lior clarifies that the land was never legally purchased by the Arabs, and that 'the Arabs never bought the land from the people of Israel or from a private Jew, and therefore it is stolen in their hands.' He added that compensation for planting the trees has already been received 'more than enough from the fruits they have eaten all these years until now.' The ruling comes amid a sharp rise in terrorist incidents and provocations under the guise of the Palestinian harvest. According to data from the Binyamin Council, about 48 security incidents were recorded around the harvest in the past week, compared to about 23 in the preceding week. The article does not bring opposing voices or address possible legal consequences.