BETHLEHEM / PNN /The seventh annual marketing fair for grapes and women’s products opened this week in Bethlehem Governorate, aiming to bolster Palestinian farmers’ resilience as they face escalating pressures from Israeli authorities and settlers.Palestinian officials, organisers and representatives of civil institutions stressed during the opening ceremony the importance of supporting local farmers and safeguarding their presence on their land, despite restrictions, land confiscations, and settler attacks.Bethlehem Governor Mohammed Taha Abu Alia said this year’s fair is intended to “support farmers, strengthen their steadfastness and help them remain on their land” amid daily attacks and Israeli barriers that block access to vineyards. He noted that “agricultural crops are precious because their price is paid with the blood of our people.”Deputy Agriculture Minister Badr Huwama highlighted the ministry’s focus on grape farmers, especially in Al-Khader town, one of the hardest-hit areas by Israeli restrictions. “Despite the challenges, Palestinian farmers have shown true dedication, producing high-quality grapes we are proud of in Palestine and abroad,” he said.Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce President Dr. Samir Hazboun described the fair as “a renewed expression of determination to support the agricultural sector.” He said shrinking farmlands had not stopped farmers from maintaining production levels, stressing that efforts are ongoing to improve marketing, including public campaigns and support for women’s products.The Agricultural Relief Society, a key partner in the initiative, underscored its role in rehabilitating farmland and backing farmers, particularly in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023 events and the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza. Association officials said their projects aim to reinforce farmers’ resilience and ensure sustainable agricultural production.Al-Khader Mayor Ahmad Salah pointed out that the town has around 8,000 dunams (nearly 2,000 acres) planted with grapes, but farmers now have access to only a quarter of that land due to Israeli restrictions. He warned that without stronger institutional support, “farmers cannot withstand the confiscations, assaults and crop destruction.”Farmers who attended the fair voiced gratitude to organisers but urged further measures to support them, noting that around 70% of their land has become inaccessible since October 2023. They also cited climate challenges, water shortages, and competition from Israeli produce.Former prisoner and farmer Rizq Salah said settlers had intensified land seizures for settlement expansion and bypass roads, depriving growers of hundreds of dunams. He called on Palestinians to prioritise local grapes over Israeli imports.Farmer Ruqayya Salah described how Israeli forces confiscate harvests, arrest farmers, blindfold them, and sometimes abandon them far from their lands. She appealed to Bethlehem Municipality and other authorities to allow farmers to sell grapes freely in local markets.Organisers said the annual marketing fair, now a tradition, is both an economic tool to promote Palestinian produce and a symbolic act of resistance. They urged Palestinians to support farmers by purchasing locally grown grapes and products.