Israel's Date Industry: A Complex Web of Politics and Labor Exploitation

Dates are a staple in Ramzan and are especially consumed to end the day-long fast in the holy month. However, the delicious nuggets of sweetness have been embroiled in politics, with Israel allegedly rebranding Palestinian-grown Medjool dates as Jerusalem dates, effectively selling them as a product of their country, according to an investigation and NGO reports. Against this background, know which dates are originally from Palestine and which are Israeli products sold using the “Product of Palestine” tag. Also known as “King of Dates,” Medjool dates are liked by many across the world, but with Israel constituting 50 per cent of the Medjool date market globally, two out of every four are produced by the country, according to the Israel Plants Production and Marketing Board, 2016. Israeli date brands often use labels like “Produce of Palestine,” and other alternative origin labels to sell the fruit grown on settlements across the occupied territory. According to anAl Jazeerareport, in the 1930s, Israeli settler Ben-Zion smuggled palm trees considered national treasures from Iraq, Persia and Egypt to help establish plantations across Israeli territories. This resulted in massive date plantations expanding into the settlements in Palestine and a portion of the Jordan Valley. It is alleged that the industry is highly exploitative, as its operations in settlements rely on low-paid Palestinian labourers, including children, with reports suggesting that harvesting dates in the Jordan Valley is highly hazardous. Hadiklaim, the Israeli Dates Growers Cooperative, includes other major brands like Jordan River, King Solomon, Tamara Barhi Dates, Rapunzel, Bomaja, Desert Diamond, Shams, Galilee Export, Carmel Agrexco and Agrifood Marketing with its brand Star Dates and Delilah. The company also supplies their products to international supermarkets. Mehadrin, another Israeli brand, has previously claimed to have doubled its Medjool date sales during Ramzan. Their dates are sold using other brand names like Premium Medjoul, Fancy Medjoul, Royal Treasure, Red Sea and Bonbonierra. Mehadrin also has “grown by Palestinian farmers” on their packaging. Tnovot Field, a subsidiary of a private Israeli company, is reportedly the country’s third-largest Medjool dates exporter, according to data collected byInminds. Their brands include Paradise Dates and Star Dates. Hadiklaim, Mehandrin and Carmel Agrexco have been accused of using child labour and underpaying Palestinian labourers less than minimum wage. Verified Palestinian Medjool date brands are Sofra, Yaffa, Zaytoun and Rift Valley Farms, the Palestinian Dates Monitoring Authority (PDMA) reported.