The New Dark Age

28 July 2011 — PCHR – Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

Hate’em Kdair, 53, is a farmer in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. He and his wife have four sons and three daughters, and live with Hate’em’s mother and father. He was in grade nine when he left school to assist his father, who was facing financial difficulty, to work on the land.

His story represents that of farmers in the Gaza Strip.

Between 1991 and the second intifada in 2000, Hate’em exported various produce, including tomatoes, potatoes and flowers, to Israel and Europe. He notes that since then, however, the “borders have become impossible” and he is unable to export his produce. Previously, his income mainly depended on the export of strawberries and flowers; due to the closure policy exports of these products have seen a sharp decline. Israeli authorities only allowed the export of exceptionally limited quantities of strawberries and flowers, 398.8 tons and 6.6 million tons respectively, which represents 7.75 percent of Gaza’s strawberry production and 8.33 percent of its flower production. Annually, Gaza produces approximately 1,500 tons of strawberries and 60 million flowers[1].

Hate’em recounts that during one of Israel’s frequent incursions, tanks destroyed farmers’ crops starting a cycle of farmers restoring the land only for it to be destroyed again by tanks. Hate’em was forced to use the money he had saved during profitable times to restore the land.

A few hundred metres away from where he grows his crops is the border wall built by Israel to enclose Gaza. During tense times it was risky for him and other farmers to work the land as Israeli forces often opened fire on them. Being unable to work equals no income and because the land he uses for his crops is rented from the land owner, his rental debts continue to rise. He added that the farmers who utilize rented land have reached an agreement with land owners to document the debts until such time that it can be paid.  “The owners of the land understand, only if a farmer works will they take their share,” says Hate’em. Adding that “If we don’t sell, we’ll fast.”

According to Hate’em, Israel sometimes requests, for example, several tons of sweet peppers, and grants the necessary export permit. He packages and sends the truckloads to the border only to receive a call from the truck driver saying that he has been waiting for, often times, two to three hours. After two to three days the produce goes off and needs to be pulped. The farmers are then sent a bill for this process.

In the past, the trucks of the company used to export their goods had refrigerators which kept the goods fresh. He also recalls a time when his produce reached Europe within one day when they were able to use Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing. It now takes two to three days plus one more day for inspection in Israel through Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom). This crossing has been made the only commercial crossing in the Gaza Strip despite the fact that it lacks the operational capacity required to meet Gaza’s basic needs[2].

The goods, no longer fresh, are still sent to Europe. Once again the farmers are sent a bill for the costs associated with transporting the goods to Europe. In 2004, he stopped growing strawberries and flowers altogether, “some (farmers) went on growing but got the point by 2008.” Hate’em added simply that “the farmer was broken in this battle, the situation is getting worse.”

Farmers now produce for the local market but sell their items at a loss. He says they sometimes accumulate 10kg of various crops to be sold at half the price it takes to produce “imagine what kind of loss we have… It is a long life tragedy living this life.”

He attributes the limited ability to sell their crops to the employees of the Palestinian Authority who are able to spend money when they receive their salaries.

Fellow farmer, Ahmed Mahmoud Tobail, sitting alongside Hate’em as he told his story adds that their hardship increased when United Nations Volunteers stopped assisting farmers to work the land. “It costs to hire workers and I cannot afford that, only people with children can keep working because their children can help them, I have no children.”

“With the problems we face in agriculture, Gaza is going to die. Farmers will have to take the decision to stop farming,” says Ahmed.

Public Document
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