Medjool is a much-loved name among date lovers worldwide, and demand for the tasty, nutritious fruit multiplies during Ramadan. Many will be surprised to learn that Israel is now the world's largest supplier of Medjool dates. Israelis grow them on occupied Palestinian land and export them around the world while hiding their origin.

According to a report by Qatar-based Al Jazeera, 50 per cent of the Medjool dates eaten worldwide come from Israel, and a significant share of them is grown on occupied Palestinian land.

Israelis have built Medjool plantations by occupying large areas in the Jericho region of the West Bank, on the border with Jordan.

Mohammad Selim, a Palestinian date seller, said: "Of course this is Palestinian land. They occupied our land and grew dates on it."

Because they are grown on occupied Palestinian land, these Israeli Medjool dates are mostly sent to other countries with their origin concealed. The packaging sometimes says only "Product of Israel" or "Product of the Jordan Valley", when in reality they are crops from occupied, illegal land, and the entire profit from the trade goes to Israel.

The Israeli Medjool dates are exported almost everywhere, including the United States, Europe and Arab countries.

Under European law, marking goods from Israeli-occupied land simply as "Product of Israel" is not enough; the origin must be stated clearly to avoid misleading consumers. In the case of Israeli Medjool dates, however, this law is often not followed.

According to the allegations, Israeli Medjool dates are being sent to Europe through intermediate countries or complex logistics networks. On entering the European Union market they are labelled only as "Product of Israel" or presented as coming from a neighbouring country. Some exporters repackage goods in free trade zones or reroute them through intermediate countries, so the place of production stays hidden.

The global date market was valued at $32.7 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach $34.5 billion in 2026. At an average annual growth rate of 6.14 per cent, it could reach $55.58 billion by 2034.

The Middle East and Africa dominate the global market. With the capacity to produce more than 9 million tonnes a year, the region held 85.28 per cent of the world market in 2025. Its market value was $27.89 billion in 2025, rising to $29.43 billion in 2026.

The region's main producing and consuming countries include Tunisia, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Egypt. Egypt leads with more than 1.7 million tonnes a year. Saudi Arabia produces more than 1.5 million tonnes, Iran more than 1.3 million tonnes and Algeria more than 1.1 million tonnes.

Although Israel lags behind Egypt and Saudi Arabia in production, it holds an important position in exporting the high-value premium Medjool variety. Questions have, however, been raised about mismatches between its production and export figures.

According to industry data, Israel exports about 35,000 tonnes of dates a year, but production within its internationally recognised borders is only about 8,800 tonnes, grown mainly in the Arava valley. If these figures are correct, about 75 per cent of Israel's date exports may come from occupied Palestinian land.

The report draws on Al Jazeera and Anadolu Agency.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.