Palestine Partners will hold a benefit concert and vigil on Thursday, Nov. 13, as it looks to raise funds for aid, help regrow olive trees in the West Bank and bring attention to the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
An Evening for Palestine will feature the Tony Castañeda’s Latin Jazz Band, who will perform at the Cardinal Bar, 418 E. Wilson St., and a solidarity vigil on the corner of South Blair and Williamson Street. The event is co-sponsored by multiple groups like Madison-Rafah Sister City Project, Jewish Voice for Peace-Madison, Madison Mennonite Action and many more, as they hope to keep attention on Gaza and highlight growing issues as a result of the continued crisis.
A large component of the event will be highlighting the destruction of olive trees in Palestine. An estimated 1.1 million of Gaza’s olive trees have been destroyed by Israel since 2000, Drop Site reported in an interview with the head of the Palestinian Olive Council.
“The assault on on agriculture there, and I think we’re focused a lot of the time on the assault on people, as we should be, but one of the other things that is happening is that all of the things that support life for these people, a way to make a living, a way to have food security, a way to have housing security and schools, are being destroyed,” said Casandra Dixon with Palestine Partners.
Over 100,000 families in Palestine rely on income from olive harvests, Al Jazeera reported. The olive industry primarily produces oil, but the whole tree is used. Olives are grown for eating, fuel the city of Nablus’ antioxidant-rich olive oil soap and the wood is used from trees that can no longer produce any more olives.
It’s partnered with Dutch-based Plant een Olijfboom, which translates to “Plant an Olive Tree.” The organization works to plant olive trees to protect and keep Palestinian land for Palestinians.
“It’s an opportunity for people to, and you don’t have to live in Madison to do this, sponsor a tree,” Dixon said. “Destruction has ramped up in the West Bank in the last two years and that is not letting down.”
Trees sponsored by donors will be planted at the Madison-Masafer Yatta Grove in the West Bank to support this year’s olive harvest.
Additional fundraising efforts will be collected for the Middle East Children’s Alliance. It offers relief for Palestinians and is a frequent aid organization that Palestinian Partners and the Madison-Rafah Sister City Project partner with to provide tangible results in international aid.
The vigil will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. as it hopes to gather attention from prime commuting hours. The benefit concert will be held afterwards at the Cardinal Bar from 5:30-7:30 p.m..
It is free to attend; no registration is required.
