In the village of Al-Walaja near Bethlehem, just twenty meters from the separation wall, stands an ancient olive tree guarded by Salah (Abu Ali).
Since childhood, Salah used to visit the tree daily with his father and grandfather, watching over its branches and caring for its soil. But in 2011, his family’s land was divided by the construction of the apartheid wall.
Known to the people of Al-Walaja as the “Mother of Olive Trees,” , this tree has withstood earthquakes, droughts, and wars, and still continues to defy the shifting policies of occupation.
Salah says, “We may one day leave, but the tree will remain. Its roots are in the land, and the branches in our memory.” Till this day, Salah keeps the tradition alive, bringing his children with him every day to visit the “Mother of all Trees.”
