Rabbi Dov Lior, a prominent hardline figure, recently issued a religious ruling suggesting that Jews are permitted to take olives from Palestinian-owned groves. According to Lior, harvesting these olives serves as a way to 'demonstrate our ownership of the land' and fulfills a religious commandment regarding the conquest of the territory.

The ruling has sparked immediate backlash from within the Jewish community. The organization 'Tzohar,' a group of moderate rabbis, publicly denounced the decision. Tzohar stated that such actions are prohibited under Jewish law, emphasizing that theft is strictly forbidden regardless of whether the victim is Jewish or non-Jewish. The group argued that the ruling contradicts fundamental moral principles and religious prohibitions against stealing.

While Lior frames the act as a symbolic and religious assertion of land rights, critics view the ruling as an incitement to property crime and a violation of ethical standards. The disagreement highlights a deep divide within religious discourse regarding the intersection of territorial claims and personal property rights in the region. There is no consensus on the religious validity of Lior's interpretation, with moderate voices asserting that the act constitutes simple theft rather than a religious obligation.