Fayad Fayad Chosen for the Italian "Ravanas" Award in Recognition of His Role in Serving the Olive Sector in Palestine

SadaNews - The Ravanas Foundation in Italy honored Fayad Fayad, Chairman of the Palestinian Olive Oil Council and representative of olive producers at the International Olive Council, in recognition of four decades of his commitment to serving Palestinian olive cultivation despite the conditions of occupation in Palestine.

Fayad was chosen on the sidelines of the organization of the Italian Olive Producers Union and the Ravanas Foundation for the first edition of the (IncantEVOle) festival dedicated to premium extra virgin olive oil, held in the city of Bitonto in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the first olive oil mill in Italy.

The foundation had extended a special invitation to Fayad Fayad to attend the ceremony, but the occupation authorities prevented him from traveling due to the closure of the Al-Karama crossing, forcing him to deliver a speech on this occasion via video conference.

The award was received on his behalf by Ruba Daghmash, representing olive farmers in Jordan. During the ceremony, a group of Italian citizens expressed their solidarity with the Palestinian people in front of the podium through a silent demonstration and by holding a banner denouncing the war against our people.

In his speech, Fayad Fayad thanked the city of Bitonto and Italy for standing alongside the Palestinian people, saying, "I would like to extend a special thank you to my dear friend Gennaro Sicolo. I had hoped to be with you today, but the Israeli occupation prevented me from traveling."

He added that receiving the Ravanas 2025 award is a great honor for him. "My friends, Palestine is the cradle of the olive tree. From here, this tree spread to the world since the Roman era, and we still have trees over two thousand years old, witnessing history and resilience."

Fayad noted that more than 100,000 Palestinian families rely on the olive sector, warning that this sector is under threat due to the Israeli occupation, stating, "Since 1967, more than a million olive trees have been destroyed. Since October 2023, more than 57,000 trees have been uprooted in the West Bank."

He pointed out that in Gaza, more than a million olive trees have been wiped out, leaving neither stone nor tree.

He added, "Gaza has become a symbol of resilience, a symbol of pain, and also a symbol of hope. Palestine has known 26 occupations, all of which ended. This occupation will also end, with the support of free peoples and everyone who knows the truth and stands by it. Thank you, thank you Italy, thank you to the Ravanas Foundation, and to my dear friend Gennaro Sicolo."

Fayad concluded his speech by thanking the President of Italy, the Olive Oil Producers Union, and the Italian Farmers Union (CIA Puglia), who strongly supported the establishment of the Ravanas Foundation.

During the ceremony, 8 awards were presented, six of which were given to companies and factories, while the two individual awards went to Fayad Fayad and the executive director of the International Olive Council.