The Story of Israel Dates Dominating the Global Market, Despite Being Cultivated on Stolen Palestinian Land

Dates have always been a highly popular fruit during the holy month of Ramadan. However, did you know that dates from Israel have been dominating the global market?

Photo: Illustration of Medjool Dates, one of the superior dates (getty images/istockphoto)

Dates are not only sought after for their sweet taste and the recommendation of Prophet Muhammad, but also for their high nutritional content and health benefits for the body.

It's no wonder that date sales increase dramatically by up to 100% during Ramadan. However, did you know that Israel is actually one of the world's largest producers of dates?

Israel is a major player in the global date market, second only to Saudi Arabia in world date exports, according to Statista. In 2021, Saudi Arabia was the largest exporter of fresh and dried dates in the world, with an export value of around US$322.84 million. Meanwhile, Israel followed closely behind with date exports exceeding US$317 million.

In a report by Israel Agri, it was revealed that Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Netherlands, Spain, France, and Turkey are the main countries that import dates from Israel. France is the largest importer of dates in the European Union with a market share of 29%.

Currently, Israel dominates over 60% of the global market share for Medjoul dates, one of the premium varieties. Known for their large size, golden-orange flesh, and rich taste, Medjoul dates have made Israel the largest exporter of Medjoul dates in the world.

However, an Al Jazeera report revealed that the Israeli date industry is suspected of relying on exploitation. Around 40% of Israeli dates are currently grown on stolen Palestinian land, while they also take water from Palestinian villages to irrigate their date plantations.

Under the difficult conditions of military occupation, the original Palestinian date industry faces challenges in competing with Israeli dates flooding the local and international markets.

Israeli entrepreneurs are known to employ Palestinian workers with low wages to harvest dates, which requires strenuous labor. Even Palestinian children are sometimes employed by Israeli farmers in the date industry.