In a northern West Bank town, Palestinian activists and local residents have planted a grove of 250 olive trees to honor the memory of the late US president Jimmy Carter, whom they regard as a strong advocate for the Palestinian cause.

Abbas Melhem, the executive manager of the Palestinian Farmers Union, stated that Carter’s legacy is deeply “rooted” not only among Palestinians but around the world. He noted that Carter was one of the few global leaders who “stood firmly supporting the struggle of the Palestinians for independence and for freedom.”

The initiative was launched by the Palestinian Farmers Union in partnership with Treedom for Palestine, a US-based nonprofit that helps empower Palestinian farmers by planting trees.

Carter, who passed away last month at the age of 100, played a key role in facilitating the Camp David peace accords between Israel and Egypt in 1978. Later in life, he became a vocal critic of Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians, likening the conditions in the West Bank to apartheid.

“I think planting olive trees that live at least 100 years old like him is a very suitable way to honor his life and his legacy,” said George Zeidan, the Director of the Carter Center in Israel and Palestine.

{Matzav.com Israel}