The Facts
- 3 out of every 4 Medjoul dates are produced in Israel.
- Israel is the world's 2nd largest ($) exporter of dates worth $317 million in 2021.
- Dates is Israel's most profitable crop by far, in 2021 it raked in 2.5x more revenue than did any other fresh produce.
- The UK imports more than 3 times as many dates($) from Israel as it does from any other country ($25 million in 2021).
- #CheckTheLabel is not enough - Israel has been caught labelling Israeli dates, grown on stolen land, as 'produce of Palestine' , especially to target Muslims during Ramadan when Medjoul sales spike by 57%.
Action
Quick Guide To Buying Dates This Ramadan - (Script of video)
One of the most popular dates are the big juicy Medjool dates. But we know that 3 out of every 4 Medjool dates in the world is produced in Israel. If are buying Medjool dates then there is a very good chance its been grown on stolen Palestinian land. So you have to be extra careful.
Checking the label doesn't help as Israel has been caught falsely labelling settlement dates as produce of other countries, even labelling them as 'made in Palestine' with a Palestinian flag on the box!
If you want Medjool dates then only buy from verified Palestinian sources like Zaytoun and Yaffa.
Be aware that genuine Palestinian dates will cost more as Palestinian farmers are systematically terrorized by Israel. Their trees are burned down just as the fruit ripens. They are shot at when they harvest their crop. The crop is often stolen by settlers. And if they succeed in harvesting, their crops, which are temperature sensitive, are purposely held up at countless Israeli checkpoints, sometimes for days. Then they are held to ransom, forced to pay to use ports, which were once Palestinian but now colonized by Israel, in order to export their dates.
If you are in any doubt that the dates you see in the shop might be Israeli then it is better not to buy Medjool dates.
Keep your family safe from stolen goods this Ramadan. Ramadan Kareem!