Why it worked
The video likely resonated due to its emotional appeal, showcasing a deeply symbolic act of a woman hugging her olive trees, combined with factual information about the conflict and its impact on Palestinian livelihoods and heritage.
Summary
The video documents the uprooting of Palestinian olive trees by the Israeli military, highlighting the emotional and economic impact on the local population. It emphasizes the cultural significance of olive trees to Palestinians and the displacement caused by Israeli settlement expansion.
Product placement
AJ+ (appears - logo in corner, does not affect video content, removing it would not change what happens in the video)
On-screen text
This Palestinian woman hugged her olive trees one last time...
before Israel ripped them out.
ARRABA, WEST BANK
September 2, 2026
The Israeli military uprooted dozens of olive trees near Arraba in the occupied West Bank -
just weeks before the annual Palestinian olive harvest known as "mawsim al-zaytoun."
The olive harvest is an old Palestinian tradition that brings families and communities together.
KHALIL AL FARI
Palestinian land owner
What did the olive trees do to them?
When we see the olive trees being uprooted
like this by the bulldozer it breaks our hearts.
These olive trees were planted 70 years ago, 50 years ago, 60 years ago.
My brothers and I have worked all our lives here
and this is our source of income.
Palestinians care for some of the world's oldest olive trees, some as old as 4,000 years.
To many, they represent Palestinian resilience and deep connection to their land.
In the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinians care for about 10 million olive trees.
Over 100,000 families rely on them for their livelihoods.
UMM AHMED AL FARI
Palestinian land owner
This olive field belongs to 30-40 families,
they make a living from it and wait to harvest it to earn money.
But now [Israeli forces] uprooted it and took it all
to make more space for the settlers and their roads.
Israel uprooted 2,559 Palestinian olive trees between June 23 and July 3, 2026 causing about $11.7 million in damages.
Israel is rapidly accelerating its illegal settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank -
with 5,900 Palestinians displaced from settler violence since 2023.