Hardline rabbi Dov Lior, the former chief rabbi of Kiryat Arba, issued a halachic ruling on Friday saying that Jews are allowed to harvest olives from Palestinian lands, drawing condemnation from a group of moderate Orthodox rabbis, according to the Times of Israel.

Lior says Jews can harvest olives “in areas far away from Jewish communities to publicly demonstrate our ownership of the land, and in doing so fulfilling the commandment to conquer the land.” Tzohar, a group of moderate religious Zionist rabbis, condemned the ruling, writing that “theft is forbidden from anyone, Jew or non-Jew alike,” and that individuals cannot decide for themselves to confiscate others’ property for security purposes.