20

Mar

Gaza War : Sweet Dates Turn Bitter For Israel

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Today’s Edition

New Delhi, 20 March 2024

Syed Khalique Ahmad

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The business interests of Israel have been deeply hurt and the Jewish state is feeling the pinch of its brutal attack on Gaza Strip, where the death toll has crossed 31,000, with an open boycott of the dates produced and supplied by it in the Muslim countries and in Europe during the holy fasting month of Ramzan. Muslims in Indonesia and Malayasia are leading the world-wide campaign against Israeli dates.

 

The boycott of Israeli products has already been going on since the attack on innocent people in Gaza started five months ago. Israel is one of the largest producers of dates in the world, particularly of the popular Medjool variety of dates. Pro-Palestinian advocacy groups around the world have made a concerted effort to ensure that consumers can make an informed choice and avoid buying Israeli dates.

 

The supply of Israeli dates has diminished in the European countries as well. Besides, the Indonesian Ulema Council has called upon the people to refrain from buying Israeli dates. The Palestinian Solidarity Campaign says that most of Israel’s Medjool dates are farmed in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank by Israeli settlers. Campaigners fighting the Israeli occupation have warned people that they should check the labels indicating the origin of products before purchasing.

 

In the Muslim Arab world, it is a common practice to break the Ramzan fast each evening with a date. The holy month of Ramzan triggers a high demand for dates and, as a result, a considerable portion of Israeli date production caters to this period. Given the fruit’s importance in Islamic ritual during Ramzan, many Muslims try to make sure that their dates are ethically sourced.

 

Pro-Palestinian organisations have alleged that Israeli dates are cultivated in the Jewish settlements in the occupied Jordan Valley. The boycott appeals are aimed at the Muslim community, urging them not to break their fast with Israeli dates.

 

The boycott campaign on social media platforms has provided guidance on identifying Israeli dates amid the plethora of dates available in the markets. The boycott proponents claim that some Israeli date packages do not disclose their Israeli origin, alleging that Israel attempts to conceal this fact to continue their sales unhindered.

 

Friends of Al-Aqsa, a British organisation which supports Hamas, is one of the leading entities advocating the boycott against Israeli dates in recent years. Ahead of the current Ramzan, the organisation published a video in which one of its activists explains how Israel tries to evade the boycott and obscure the origin of the dates in the packages sold. The speaker in the video asserts that some packages of Israeli dates are labelled as “Product of South Africa”.

 

This year, the boycott against Israeli dates forms part of broader calls for boycotts against Israeli products and companies which collaborate with Israel, following the war in the Gaza Strip. There is a deep concern in Israel about the boycott of its dates during Ramzan and a campaign to market Israeli Medjool dates abroad was cancelled over fears of a boycott and negative publicity. The stakeholders in Israeli industry are aware that anyone who sees an Israeli product thinks twice.

 

About a third of annual date exports by Israeli producers occur during Ramzan, but fears of a boycott have led to attempts to downplay the Israeli origin of the fruit. Activists have entered supermarkets in Europe where there are dates with Israeli brands, and stuck stickers on them saying that the buyers “contribute to genocide”.

 

The economic impact on Israel is estimated to be quite significant, as the Jewish state has started feeling the consequences of the massacre unleashed by it in Gaza Strip. Israel’s 50% share of the Medjool market makes it one of the largest by volume in the world. The value of date exports from Israel was 338 million U.S. dollars in 2022, compared to exports worth 432 million U.S. dollars for all other fruits, according to data from the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture.

 

In a bid to counter the boycott campaigns, Israeli producers are working with some buyers to change the labels on their products in a bid to obfuscate the origin of the dates. However, the exports of dates to Turkey have plunged by 50%, as the Turkish market makes up about 10% of all date exports from Israel.

 

The United Kingdom is the second-biggest importer of Israeli dates in Europe. Before the war in Gaza Strip started, the U.K. imported more than 3,000 tonnes of dates from Israel, worth about 9.6 million U.S. dollars. The advocacy groups have encouraged the Imams of local mosques to address the boycott in their sermons during the holy month of fasting.

 

An increasingly prevalent consumer campaign against Israeli dates has gained momentum in Malaysia and Indonesia, alerting the consumers about the presence of these dates in the markets. The situation has drawn the government’s attention in Malaysia, where the authorities confiscated 73 packs of Medjool dates believed to have originated from Israel. Malaysia’s Minister in charge of domestic trade Armizan Mohammed Ali said the government would take strict action against those who mislead the consumers.

 

 

 

While no organised movement against the Israeli dates has been built up in India, Muslims are generally boycotting the products of all brands which have a connection with the Jewish state during Ramzan. The collective movement in Malaysia and Indonesia represents a significant consumer stance in Ramzan, which emphasises solidarity with Palestine as well as a growing awareness of the origin of purchased goods.( Words 930)

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