Choose Occupation-Free Dates

To Muslims, the date fruit is symbolic. During Ramadan, many Muslims break their fast following the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with water and dates. But do they know the history of injustice behind the production of so many dates? Many dates are grown in illegal Israeli settlements built on occupied Palestinian land and harvested through unfair labor practices. Boycott dates under these brand names Jordan River, Jordan River-Bio Tops and King Solomon. Dates that profit the occupation are marketed by the Israeli company Hadilklaim through a variety of distributors. Dates that say they are produced in the West Bank and the Jordan Valley are most likely also Israeli occupation dates.

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Dates in the Israeli economy

Israel produces over half of the world’s leading variety of dates, the Medjool date.¹ The majority of these are grown in settlements in the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea areas on occupied Palestinian land, and then exported worldwide for a profit of $265 million for Israeli export companies.^{2 3}

Introducing the BDS Movement

The global movement for a campaign of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel until it complies with international law and Palestinian rights was initiated by Palestinian civil society in 2005, and is coordinated by the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC), established in 2007. BDS is a strategy that allows people of conscience to play an effective role in the Palestinian struggle for justice.

For decades, Israel has denied Palestinians their fundamental rights of freedom, equality, and self-determination through ethnic cleansing, colonization, racial discrimination, and military occupation. Despite abundant condemnation of Israeli policies by the UN, other international bodies, and preeminent human rights organisations, the world community has failed to hold Israel accountable and enforce compliance with basic principles of law. Israel’s crimes have continued with impunity.

Grueling work, perched dangerously high above the ground for hours on end, with little respite and no possibility of taking care of certain bodily needs - such is the plight of Palestinian workers in some Jordan Valley date groves. But they are too frightened to complain.

By Gitit Ginat
Sep.14, 2006
Haaretz

Imagine a person. He might be a man over 40 years old, married, with children. Or he might be a teenager, who until recently was in school. Now perch him on top of a date palm that soars to a height of 10 or even 12 meters - the height of a three- or four-story building. Imagine this person sitting atop the tree for five, six, even seven hours a day. It's hot, but the heat is the least of his problems. Occasionally a strong wind blows, shaking the tree along with the person sitting on it. Scorpions and snakes come to visit sometimes, and ants wander freely over his body.