Agricultural export is one of the most profitable sectors in the Israeli market, with most of the produce bound for European countries. Much of the agricultural produce exported from Israel and misleadingly labelled "made in Israel" is grown within Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian and Syrian territories.
Particularly in the fertile occupied part of the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea Area, Israeli agriculture flourishes at the expense of the Palestinian farmers, through land grab and inequitable water allocation.
Particularly in the fertile occupied part of the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea Area, Israeli agriculture flourishes at the expense of the Palestinian farmers, through land grab and inequitable water allocation.
Since 1967, tens of thousands of houses have been demolished, thousands of acres of agricultural land bulldozed and hundreds of thousands of olive trees destroyed.
Palestinian farmer Mussa Samamreh, right, inspects
the broken branches of his olive trees near the
village of Shuweike, which local residents say were
destroyed by Israeli settlers. Photo: Abed al-Hashlamoun
Israeli officials destroy a water storage facility used
by Palestinian farmers outside the West Bank village
of Yatta, near the Israeli settlement of Sosia,
in early June
Photo: EPA
Mehadrin, which markets oranges grown in the West Bank under under the Jaffa brand name, also supplies water for Mekorot, Israel's national water company.
Mehadrin's wells, drilled deep in the West Bank, have left Palestinian wells and springs dry, reports the Palestinian non-profit human rights group, Al-Haq. The Israeli government has taken over virtually all water resources in the West Bank, according to the United Nations Security Council. Eighty percent of that water is used by Israel and settlements. Many Palestinian farmers have no other option than to buy water from Mekorot. Mehadrin also provides loans to Israeli farmers, including those who live in settlements on land illegally seized from Palestinians during and since the 1967 war.
Mehadrin's wells, drilled deep in the West Bank, have left Palestinian wells and springs dry, reports the Palestinian non-profit human rights group, Al-Haq. The Israeli government has taken over virtually all water resources in the West Bank, according to the United Nations Security Council. Eighty percent of that water is used by Israel and settlements. Many Palestinian farmers have no other option than to buy water from Mekorot. Mehadrin also provides loans to Israeli farmers, including those who live in settlements on land illegally seized from Palestinians during and since the 1967 war.
Since 1967, tens of thousands of houses have been demolished, thousands of acres of agricultural land bulldozed and hundreds of thousands of olive trees destroyed.
The determination of Palestinians resolved to carry on in the face of this is astonishing.
The determination of Palestinians resolved to carry on in the face of this is astonishing.
A report by a British volunteer of her experiences helping to harvest the olives gives an overall picture of the farmers' lives.
There are calls for boycotts of Israeli goods but boycotting can sometimes seem a bit negative and many of us like to take more positive action with some practical support. Locating produce from Palestinian farmers is very difficult but if you would like to buy a bottle of Zaytoun olive oil please use the form below to let us know.
If you'd like to try extend your support by buying Palestinian almonds, couscous, dates, olives, soap or wild herb mix, let us know by sumitting the form below and we'll try to get some for you.
If you are prepared to take a step further, the Zaytoun team is inviting us to help the team plant 10,000 olive trees in Palestine this year.
There are calls for boycotts of Israeli goods but boycotting can sometimes seem a bit negative and many of us like to take more positive action with some practical support. Locating produce from Palestinian farmers is very difficult but if you would like to buy a bottle of Zaytoun olive oil please use the form below to let us know.
If you'd like to try extend your support by buying Palestinian almonds, couscous, dates, olives, soap or wild herb mix, let us know by sumitting the form below and we'll try to get some for you.
If you are prepared to take a step further, the Zaytoun team is inviting us to help the team plant 10,000 olive trees in Palestine this year.
Other links which you may find interesting are:
Cathi Pawson's article in The Guardian,
the bbc news reports and analyses,
a youtube clip of Jon Snow’s report
a message from fairtraders in Palestine
Cathi Pawson's article in The Guardian,
the bbc news reports and analyses,
a youtube clip of Jon Snow’s report
a message from fairtraders in Palestine