Last year, following the October 7th Hamas attack, Israel imposed a blanket ban on Palestinian workers entering from the West Bank. Fortunately, the 2023 harvest was particularly poor, so the impact on Israeli growers was not severe. However, with the 2024 season beginning, and olive trees heavy with fruit, the ongoing closure is set to be devastating. What was originally a temporary emergency measure now appears to be a form of punitive policy affecting both Palestinian workers, Israeli farmers especially Arab citizens of Israel in the Galilee who rely heavily on these workers. Predictions are that the lack of workers for the olives picking season will affect a spike in prices of olive oil for the general public. Moreover it seems that decisions on this crucial matter are being taken without clear criteria and that one arm of the Government doesn’t know what the other arm is doing.
Recent correspondence between olive growers, olive oil producers, and the Ministry of Agriculture shows that the ministry supports the return of Palestinian workers. The primary obstacle, however, is the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT). On September 4, Walla News journalist Yoav Itiel published communications between Nassar Darawshe, an olive grove owner and olive oil producer from the village of Iksal, and the Ministry of Agriculture. Darawshe, who employed eight Palestinian workers in previous seasons, submitted the required forms, but the ministry informed him that COGAT was not approving the entry of workers, and the forecast for future approvals looked bleak.
In response to questions posed by the tireless Walla reporter Yoav Itiel, the Ministry of Agriculture confirmed that it had been instructed to draft a procedure for returning Palestinian workers so as to allow employers who hired them in the past to ask for permits to employ them now. While the ministry has advanced the process and submitted permit requests, COGAT has consistently refused.
Hadas Lahav, the director of Sindyanna of Galilee, which markets around 100 tons of fair trade award winning olive oil domestically and internationally, warned in the Walla article of a “catastrophe for the sector if permits are not granted to Palestinian workers.” According to Lahav, “Farmers will not be able to harvest the fruit, orchards will collapse, and consumers will pay more. And that’s without even mentioning the Palestinian families, for many of whom this is a main source of income.” Lahav mentioned that the ones who will be harmed mostly by this banning of Palestinian workers are the farmers in the Arab towns in Israel who grow their orchards without irrigation and pick them by hand and thus need many hands for the picking season”.
Meanwhile, Channel 13 reported on Sunday September 8th that security officials cautioned the government of a possible surge in violence and a third intifada in the West Bank, urging the Government to allow Palestinian workers into Israel. Since December 2023, such warnings have been issued by sources close to the IDF and the Shin Bet (secrete security), highlighting the destructive consequences of continuing the closure on workers. However, these recommendations remain shelved, with no implementation in sight. The ongoing restrictions have caused severe hardship for Palestinians and are now threatening to cripple the olive sector in Israel, with devastating consequences for growers, olive oil producers, and harvest contractors.
MAAN Workers Association has been working over the past 11 to change the official policy and facilitate a gradual return of Palestinian workers to Israel. This would address the severe hardship faced by Palestinian workers and provide a skilled and experienced labor force for olive growers as well as construction contractors, who are in dire need of skilled workers.
