"We couldn't sit abroad watching the atrocities in the West Bank" | The Jews coming to protect Palestinians during the olive harvest
Hundreds of Jews from abroad have arrived in the West Bank to assist Palestinians with the olive harvest amid settler violence. The volunteers, mostly from the US and UK, explain they could not stay home in the face of the harsh images. Some fear a response from Israeli authorities, who have deported 54 foreign nationals since the start of the year.
Hundreds of Jews from abroad, most from the United States and Britain, have arrived in Judea and Samaria to assist Palestinian farmers with the olive harvest amid fears of violent settler attacks. The article focuses on a group from the "Tzedek Corps" community in Newton, Massachusetts, volunteering in the village of Jalud in the Nablus district. The volunteers explain they could not stay home in the face of the harsh images from the West Bank and express deep concern for the future of the State of Israel. Some fear a response from Israeli authorities, who have deported 54 foreign nationals since the beginning of 2026, most of them Jews, for solidarity activity in the territories. Volunteer Tova Spitzer describes the fear of settler attacks and the concern that deportation would prevent her from visiting Israel in the future. Mitchell, a retired philosophy professor, says he cannot sit idly by in the face of "the atrocities" and expresses concern about a "self-destruction mechanism" that Israel is operating.