Ashton picks olives for Palestinian solidarity

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton joined an Arab olive harvest on Thursday in the Gaza Strip to support residents living in Israeli occupied territory. Ashton picked olives with villagers in the town of Ras Karkar, located in Area C, which is still under full Israeli army control. Ashton, who met with Palestinian Prime Minister Dr Salam Fayyad on the trip, said that the EU “will continue to work as hard as we can for the solution that we believe in: two states living side by side in peace and security for both the Palestinian and Israeli people.” Ashton added that what she was trying to do with her visit to the farm “is not just about economic support but also trying to help the people of this area to be able to move forward and to live their lives for themselves and for their children.” She thanked the people of village of Ras Karkar in Ramallah and PM Fayyad for letting her and the EU Ambassadors be a part of the olive harvest. Ras Karkar village and a number of Palestinian towns and villages were subject to terrorist assaults by the settlers, especially in the olive picking season to undermine the livelyhoods of Palestinian people, targetting its existence and controlling its territory. Fayyad said this visit also comes as part of the international community’s growing interest in conditions in Area C. Fayyad denounced the Israeli violations against the people, especially in east Jerusalem and C areas, as well as denouncing terrorists assaults against Palestinian farmers, their possessions and sources of living, particularly during the olive harvest season. He explained that if the olive branch is the symbol of peace then the stem of the olive tree is a symbol of challenge and steadfastness in the territory, defending national rights topped by the people’s right to freedom, independence and living with dignity in an independent Palestinian state. He added that cutting the olive branch by the settlers means abusing the concept of peace which everyone is working towards, but Palestinian people despite all the violations, will remain rooted to its land exactly like the olive tree. Fayyad said “The EU’s latest statement came to enable the Palestinian Authority’s to work and live in the C areas, an issue which was neglected for many years, the C areas and East Jerusalem are not disputed land but an integral part of the Palestinian land.” On Thursday, President Mahmoud Abbas met with European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton at Ramallah presidency headquarters where he briefed her on the latest peaceful developments and the Palestinian efforts to win non-member status with the United Nations. He said the Palestinian side is ready to resume negotiations with Israel after upgrading Palestine’s status at the UN and that the negotiations will be over final status issues.