West Bank Date Farmers Assess Impact of UK Settlement Sanctions

In the fertile Jordan Valley of the occupied West Bank, Israeli settler farms stand ready for a bountiful date harvest, even as they brace for the economic fallout of new Western sanctions. The UK government has announced an import ban on goods from settlements, which are considered illegal under international law, alongside measures targeting companies and individuals involved in settlement expansion.

Avigdor Arbel, a date farmer in the settlement of Mesua, dismissed the boycott efforts as “really disgusting” but expressed confidence that the sector could withstand the pressure. Arbel, who exports primarily to Europe but also sells to the US and India, stated that his response to previous boycotts has always been to seek alternative markets. “As soon as we have a situation of pressure and boycotts, we always break out and look for other markets,” he said, adding that if European sales become impossible, they will find buyers elsewhere.

The sanctions represent a significant shift in UK policy, described by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband as part of a “comprehensive reset” regarding Israel. Miliband told Parliament that facts on the ground had been created to make the two-state solution unviable and cited a former Israeli health minister’s assessment that ethnic cleansing of Palestinians was occurring in parts of the West Bank. He affirmed that the UK now agrees with the 2024 International Court of Justice opinion that Israel’s occupation is unlawful.

More than a dozen other European nations, including France, Germany, and Spain, along with Canada, have also confirmed intentions to introduce similar trade restrictions or support EU-wide measures. In response, Israeli President Isaac Herzog labeled the move a “grave miscalculation” and warned it would be seen as interference in Israel’s upcoming elections.

For Palestinian farmers, the sanctions offer a potential counterweight to the growing dominance of settlements. Abdul Halim Abu Omar, a Palestinian grower near Jericho, struggles with severe water shortages, with some of his palms bearing no fruit this season. He attributes this to a lack of access to water, a recurring issue where Israeli authorities are accused of prioritizing settlers. Abu Omar watched settlers divert water from a Palestinian village to fill a swimming pool earlier this summer.

Momen Sinokrot, a Palestinian exporter whose company works with 55 date growers in the valley, believes broader bans on settlement trade could help curb the expansion of settlements. “They are going to the fields of the growers, they are stealing from them, and they are controlling more and more land,” Sinokrot said, noting that settlers often operate outside even Israeli military control.

The enforcement of such bans has raised questions, with reports indicating that some settlement produce sold in Europe is mislabeled as domestic Israeli goods. However, legal advocacy group Global Echo argues that a formal ban would be more self-enforcing. Jessica Stober, the group’s author, noted that shipments would be returned rather than merely fined, making it commercially unviable for private sector actors to deal in settlement goods.

While over 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements, Palestinian farmers continue to face greater restrictions and costs when exporting through Israeli-controlled borders. Despite the political tensions, the date industry remains a vital economic lifeline for both communities in the Jordan Valley, which comprises nearly 30% of the West Bank.