Deppen Webber, 42, and father of one, quit his $100,000 job in Sonoma County, CA, after 9 years with the company when he realized how much it was making off defense contracts, and then he went off to Israel-Palestine to help in the olive harvest and bring attention to the struggle. Reporting by Jeremy Hay of the Press-Democrat (thanks to Jeff Blankfort):
Deppen, a one-time baker who could be described as a sort of slow-rising activist, began to have concerns about U.S. foreign policy in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade…
“I just can’t understand why we constantly need to be at war,” said Webber, also a critic of U.S. policy regarding Israel, one of its staunchest allies, and the Palestinians.
…Local Palestinian supporters have hailed Webber’s actions…
During his weeks in the Middle East, Webber said he harvested olives with Palestinian farmers and met with pro-Palestinian activists and educational organizations.
He also explored parts of the West Bank where Jewish settlements — the continuation of which have stalled the latest round of peace negotiations — have sprouted, an experience he said was eye-opening.
“Seeing the settlements first hand, and seeing the settlers right there in Palestinian territory, it just confirmed my suspicions of how things worked over there,” he said.
