Rabbi David Bigman: Prohibition on Buying Olive Oil from Arab Groves

Key Takeaways

Rabbi David Bigman ruled it forbidden to purchase olive oil from unauthorized Arab harvests.

Picking olives without the owner's explicit consent is considered prohibited theft.

Buying oil from mills that acquire such olives encourages and assists wrongdoers.

The ruling aligns with previous opinions from Gush Etzion rabbis regarding property rights.

Rabbi David Bigman, head of the Ma'ale Gilboa Hesder Yeshiva, has issued a strict religious ruling stating that purchasing olive oil produced from olives harvested without permission from Arab-owned groves is forbidden. According to the ruling, harvesting these olives constitutes theft, regardless of whether the original owners can access their lands. Furthermore, buying oil from pressing facilities that openly acquire such produce acts as a prohibited collaboration with wrongdoers and supports ongoing transgressions.

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