Seven buses carrying hundreds of left-wing activists and volunteers attempting to enter the olive harvest area in Burin were blocked by security forces outside of Ariel in the West Bank, Israel Police stated on Friday.
The military had declared the olive groves a closed military zone to ensure the safe conduct of the olive harvest, the police said, following an updated IDF security assessment.
The buses were shuttling volunteers and activists to a "solidarity harvest," where Democrats MKs Gilad Kariv and Naama Lazimi, as well as several other public figures, were set to attend.
The focus of the solidarity harvest was to provide additional protection to Palestinian farmers against violence and to create a united front against Jewish extremists perpetrating attacks.
In line with orders issued by the IDF, and under the direction of sector commanders, police forces presented the protesters with the necessary legal orders and conducted checks, according to the police. They then instructed the buses to turn around.
Kariv claimed the police's actions were illegal in a post to social media. "Israel police unlawfully and without authority blocked the passage of seven buses on their way to the olive harvest location," Kariv, who was on one of the buses, wrote.
"This blockage was carried out using a military order without presenting the required authorization to the police officers."
Kariv argued with a police officer on the bus about whether the activists attempting to reach the harvest area constituted "provocation."
"You are blocking us on a political basis," Kariv argued.
"Do you see this flag?" the officer responded, pointing to the Israeli flag on his uniform. "Don't talk to me about politics, because I serve the public...all of the Israeli public."
"You are abusing your position as police officers for political reasons," Kariv insisted.
"The entire security and law enforcement system has become captive to the Jewish terrorists, who receive full backing from their representatives in the government," Lazimi claimed.
"So, just to translate the new terminology: public peace and preventing disturbances = Ben-Gvir and Smotrich are pleased."
Protesters 'blocked traffic, disturbed public order,' police claimed
When security forces blocked the bus, the activists exited from the vehicle. They then blocked the main road through the Shomron Junction for about 20 minutes, which, the police said, created a safety hazard by impeding traffic and disturbing public order.
Police and security forces said they de-escalated the situation without any casualties. The protesters were redirected to a safe area, and the road was cleared.
October 2025 was the most violent month of the harvest since 2006, according to UN data. The harvest began in mid-October, with more than 250 recorded attacks against Palestinians since the start of the season.