# Hardline Israeli Rabbi Permits Settlers to Harvest Palestinian Olives, Sparks Uproar

> A controversial ruling issued by Rabbi Dov Lior on October 16, 2026, allows Jewish settlers to take olives from Palestinian-owned groves in the occupied West Bank, drawing condemnation and exposing religious divisions.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-17T13:11:23.224519Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/hardline-israeli-rabbi-permits-settlers-to-harvest-palestinian-olives-sparks-uproar-3cb4a6c8

Hardline Israeli Rabbi Dov Lior issued a religious ruling on Friday, October 16, 2026, permitting Jewish settlers to harvest olives from Palestinian-owned groves in the occupied West Bank [1][6][8][12]. This directive directly countered an earlier letter from other rabbis and sparked significant uproar within Orthodox Judaism [1][12][13].

This ruling provides a religious justification for actions previously considered illicit, offering a theological basis for settlers to take Palestinian property. It also comes amidst escalating violence during the annual olive harvest season, raising concerns about further conflict and property rights in the West Bank [1][2][3][12].

## What the records show

Rabbi Lior's ruling, published by Israeli Channel 13, states that the land belongs to the Jewish people and that harvesting olives fulfills a religious duty to "conquer the land" [6][7][8][9][11]. Lior contended that Palestinians never legally purchased the land from Jewish people or the "people of Israel," considering their possession illegitimate from his perspective [9][10]. The ruling even permits harvesting olives from areas far from Jewish communities to "publicly demonstrate our ownership of the land" [11][13].

This religious decree drew strong condemnation from other Orthodox Jewish groups. The Tzohar Rabbinical Organization and rabbis from Gush Etzion were among those who voiced strong opposition [1][12][13]. These opposing groups stated that "theft is forbidden from anyone, Jew or non-Jew alike" [13]. They also maintained that only the state holds the authority to confiscate property, and as long as the state recognizes an Arab's ownership of olive trees, those trees remain their property [12][13].

## The timeline

Rabbi Lior issued his religious ruling on Friday, October 16, 2026 [1][8][11][12]. This decision directly contradicted an earlier position taken by rabbis from the Gush Etzion religious council. Their prior letter had concluded that taking Palestinian produce constituted "forbidden theft, blasphemy, a moral disgrace, a political risk, and moral and educational harm" [12][16].

The same day Lior's ruling was issued, reports detailed increased settler violence against Palestinians during the annual olive harvest in the occupied West Bank [2][3][4][5][6][9][12]. These attacks included injuries to a Washington Post photographer, Heidi Levine [3][5].

## What changed and for whom

For Jewish settlers, Rabbi Lior's ruling provides a religious justification for taking olives from Palestinian groves, an act that had previously been explicitly forbidden by other religious authorities [6][8][11][12]. This could potentially embolden some settlers to engage in such acts. For Palestinian farmers, the ruling, combined with the ongoing violence, significantly increases the risks associated with the annual olive harvest, a vital economic and cultural event [2][3][4][5][6]. The ruling also highlights a deep internal division within Orthodox Judaism regarding the application of religious law to property rights in the occupied territories [1][12][13].

## What the subject has said publicly

Rabbi Dov Lior publicly justified his ruling by claiming that the land inherently belongs to the Jewish people [8][11]. He stated that the act of harvesting olives serves to fulfill a religious duty of "conquering the land" and publicly demonstrates Jewish ownership [6][8][11]. Lior also asserted that Palestinians never legally purchased the land from Jewish individuals or from the "people of Israel," thereby deeming their possession illegitimate from his perspective [9][10].

## What we could not confirm

We could not confirm the exact number of olive groves or trees that have been or might be affected by actions stemming from this ruling. We also could not confirm what specific legal or religious repercussions, if any, Rabbi Lior or any settlers acting on his ruling might face from Israeli authorities or religious bodies.

## Evidence cited
1. Hardline Israeli rabbi ruling on stolen Palestinian olives prompts uproar (www.aljazeera.com) — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/17/hardline-israeli-rabbi-ruling-on-stolen-palestinian-olives-sparks-uproar?traffic_source=rss
2. Palestinians and US journalist injured by Israeli settlers in West Bank harvest attack (www.bbc.co.uk) — https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c65ynk7212vqo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
3. Israeli settlers attack olive farmers and Washington Post journalist in West Bank (www.guardian.com) — https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/oct/16/israeli-settlers-attack-olive-farmers-west-bank-washington-post-journalist-heidi-levine
4. Israeli Settlers Attack Palestinians and Washington Post Journalist in West Bank (www.nytimes.com) — https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/16/world/middleeast/israeli-settlers-washington-post-palestinians.html
5. Israeli settlers attack Palestinians during West Bank olive harvest and beat U.S. photojournalist (www.pbs.org) — https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/israeli-settlers-attack-palestinians-during-west-bank-olive-harvest-and-beat-u-s-photojournalist
6. (October 17 2026) Prominent Israeli rabbi Dov Lior issued a religious ruling permitting Israeli settlers to take olives from Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, claiming that harvesting the crop “demonstrates Jewish ownership of the land”. The ruling was published by Israeli Channel 13 amid escalating attacks on Palestinian farmers during the annual olive harvest. Lior argued that Palestinians did not own their ... (muslimnews.co.uk) — https://muslimnews.co.uk/
7. (October 17 2026) A prominent Israeli rabbi on Friday issued a religious ruling permitting Israeli occupiers to take olives from Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, claiming that harvesting the crop “demonstrates Jewish ownership of the land.” The ruling was issued by Rabbi Dov Lior, one of the most prominent religious authorities among Israeli occupiers in the West Bank, and was published by Israeli Channel 13. Read: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/202... (youtube.com) — https://www.youtube.com/
8. (October 16 2026) Israel's prominent rabbi Dov Lior ruled on Friday that Jews may pick olives from Palestinian-owned groves in the occupied West Bank, Haaretz reported. Lior claimed the land belongs to the Jewish people, and said harvesting it publicly asserts Jewish ownership and fulfils the religious duty of "conquering the land. (middleeasteye.net) — https://www.middleeasteye.net/
9. (October 16 2026) The ruling was issued by Rabbi Dov Lior, one of the most prominent religious authorities among Israeli occupiers in the West Bank, and was published by Israeli Channel 13. It comes amid escalating occupier violence against Palestinians and their property, particularly farmers during the olive harvest season. Lior claimed that Palestinians do not own their land, arguing that they had not purchased it from the “people of Israel” or from any Jewish person and describing the land a (aa.com.tr) — https://www.aa.com.tr/
10. (October 16 2026) Posted On: 16-10-2026 | Politics , Israeli news

 ... Rabbi Dov Lior has issued a religious ruling permitting the harvesting of olives from trees planted by Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including in areas far from Israeli settlements. Lior claimed that Arabs had not purchased the land from the Jewish people or from individual Jews. He argued that harvesting olives constitutes an expression of ownership over the land and fulfills what he described as the “religious co (pnn.ps) — https://www.pnn.ps/
11. (October 16 2026) Rabbi Dov Lior, a leading figure in the religious Zionist movement, ruled on Friday that Jews may harvest olives from Palestinian-owned groves in the West Bank, claiming the land belongs to the Jewish people and arguing that doing so, even in areas far from Jewish communities, helps publicly assert Jewish ownership of the land and fulfills the religious commandment of conquering the land. (democraticunderground.com) — https://democraticunderground.com/
12. (October 17 2026) Lior's ruling followed a letter published earlier this week by rabbis from the religious council of the Gush Etzion settlements southwest of occupied Jerusalem. Their ruling on the harvest season concluded that picking Palestinians' produce constitutes “forbidden theft, blasphemy, a moral disgrace, a political risk, and moral and educational harm.” The Tzohar Rabbinical Organization also issued a statement in response to Lior's ruling, saying that only the state has the authori (jordannews.jo) — https://jordannews.jo/
13. (October 17 2026) He also says Jews can harvest olives “in areas far away from Jewish communities to publicly demonstrate our ownership of the land, and in doing so fulfilling the commandment to conquer the land.” Tzohar, a group of moderate religious Zionist rabbis, slammed Lior's ruling, writing that “theft is forbidden from anyone, Jew or non-Jew alike,” and that individuals cannot decide for themselves to confiscate others' property for security purposes. (timesofisrael.com) — https://www.timesofisrael.com/
14. Events of the year 2026 in Palestine - Wikipedia (wikipedia.org) — https://en.wikipedia.org/
15. (October 17 2026) Rabbi Lior's ruling. Israeli Rabbi Dov Lior issued a halachic ruling permitting settlers to pick olives from Palestinian olive groves in the occupied West Bank and to steal them. The ... (newscord.org) — https://newscord.org/
16. (October 16 2026) In their letter, they argue that Jewish law prohibits taking the olives, as it is clear that the Palestinian owners have not abandoned their crops, and stealing from anyone—Jew or non-Jew, is forbidden. They further warn that doing so constitutes a khilul Hashem; a desecration of God's name. Instead, they call for enabling Palestinians to harvest their olives safely and ensuring that the harvest reaches its rightful owners. It is unconscionable to use Torah to justify the dispo (instagram.com) — https://www.instagram.com/
17. (October 16 2026) Rabbi Dov Lior, a prominent religious authority among Israeli settlers in the West Bank, claimed that Palestinians do not own the land because they di... (news.az) — https://news.az/