Thursday, October 25, 2012

Olive Trees, Borders and the American Consul-General

Found (k/t=OS) here:-

Representatives from the U.S. Government and Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture Launch West Bank Olive Season

Salfit, West Bank - On Wednesday, October 24, American Consul General Michael Ratney, USAID Mission Director Mike Harvey and Palestinian Deputy Minister of Agriculture Zakaria Salawdeh joined farmers in Salfit to launch this year’s olive harvest as part of the USAID-funded ‘Olive Oil Without Borders’ project, an initiative implemented by the Near East Foundation that aims to build mutual understanding and economic cooperation between the Palestinian and Israeli olive oil sectors.

...During the event, the American Consul General commented, “Through the ‘Olive Oil without Borders’ program with the Near East Foundation, the U.S. Government is pleased to be able to bring together Palestinian and Israeli farmers, olive press owners, and traders to build trust, mutual understanding, and collaboration through economic cooperation.”  The 2012 olive season is anticipated to produce approximately 22,000 tons of olive oil from more than 8 million trees. Olive farming is...an important focal point for USAID’s economic growth assistance, as well as part of its Conflict Management and Mitigation Program.
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Well,

if this is part of a "Conflict Management and Mitigation Program",

and, if this is an American-sponsored program and America supports democracy, etc.,

and, if the program is called "Olive Oil without Borders",

will Consul-General Ratney come out to Shiloh with over 1000 dunam of olive tree groves?

After all,

The Olive Oil Without Borders’ project works to foster cross-border economic collaboration between the Israeli and Palestinian olive sectors at all levels of the value chain.  Over the course of the project, USAID through the Near East Foundation will work directly with 1,428 Palestinian and Israeli olive producers...

and we are Israeli.

^

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