An ancient olive tree: a sign of Palestinian steadfastness, assalamu alaykum
Assalamu alaykum. In the village of Al-Walajah, south of Jerusalem, Salah Abu Ali tends to what experts estimate to be the West Bank’s oldest olive tree - possibly between 3,000 and 5,500 years old. He trims its branches and gathers its fruit during harvest even as violence and restrictions make life difficult for many farmers this season.
“This is not an ordinary tree. It speaks of history, of civilisation, of a symbol,” the 52-year-old said, smiling behind his beard. Around its huge trunk and many offshoots - some even named after family members - Abu Ali has made a small peaceful spot. Nearby stands the separation wall, topped with razor wire, and much of Al-Walajah’s original land now lies on the other side of that barrier.
Despite wider violence and daily assaults reported across parts of the West Bank during the harvest, the village so far has avoided the worst of those attacks, and Abu Ali is able to care for the tree. In a good year it can produce 500–600 kg of olives; this year, low rain has meant a smaller yield. Locals call the tree names like the Elder, the Bedouin Tree and Mother of Olives.
“May Allah keep it,” the mayor, Khader Al-Araj, said, calling the tree a symbol of Palestinian endurance. The olive - rooted in this land for generations - is often used to represent the Palestinian people. The Palestinian Authority’s agriculture ministry has recognised the tree as a natural landmark and appointed Abu Ali as its caretaker.
Most olive trees reach about three metres when mature; this one towers above the rest, its main trunk nearly two metres wide with many large offshoots. Abu Ali says its oil is exceptional - “green gold” that sells for several times the price of ordinary olive oil.
Tourist visits used to be common, but numbers dropped after the war in Gaza began in October 2023 and checkpoints and restrictions increased across the West Bank. The village has a long history of dispossession: after 1949 much land was lost, and after 1967 most remaining areas were designated Area C under full Israeli control, a status that has caused many problems like demolition orders and land confiscations for Palestinian families.
For now, Abu Ali keeps caring for the tree, planting herbs and fruit trees around it and keeping a guest book filled with notes in many languages. “I’ve become part of the tree. I can’t live without it,” he said. May Allah protect those who strive to preserve their heritage and the land.
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