Since joining the campaign to boycott Israeli dates, the Resistance Kitchen has received several queries as to why boycotting Israeli dates is so complicated.
Why can’t we just have a list of brands to boycott like with other products. Why can’t we just check the label?
There are several reasons for this, here we look at just one of them – false labelling.
This box of dates with an image of a Mosque, and Arabic text translating to ‘Medjool dates’, clearly states “Product of Palestine” both in English and Arabic next to a Palestinian flag.
The label on the side even mentions a UK import company “packed for Offa Exotics” and re-iterates “produce of Palestine”.
Surely these must be genuine Palestinian dates? That’s the conclusion checking the label would lead to.
But things are not what they seem.
Strangely, Offa Exotics is not registered at Companies House where all genuine companies should be registered.
A bit of digging reveals that there is a strong connection between Offa Exotics and Israel’s largest grower and exporter of dates, Mehadrin.
Mehadrin has a history of mislabelling its produce to evade boycotts of illegal settlement goods.
The NGO, Corporate Occupation published evidence in January 2013 showing a Mehadrin storage house in the illegal Beqa’ot settlement in the occupied West Bank “filled to the roof with boxes” mislabelled as ‘produce of Israel’, instead of admitting they are produced in an illegal settlement on the West Bank, thereby avoiding EU import taxes.
Photos from Mehadrin’s website reveal that Mehadrin is the supplier of dates to Offa Exotics in the UK. Mehadrin, on its website, says it packages-its-products “custom-tailored to customers’ requirements”. It shows a Offa Exotics box of dates with Arab imagery with no mention of Israel or Mehadrin.
So here we have an example of a box of medjool dates labelled produce of Palestine with the name of the import company mentioned, and yet in all probability its Israeli dates grown on illegal settlements on stolen Palestinian land.
This is why checking the label isn’t enough, why independent research and verification is essential in ensuring the dates we buy during Ramadan are halal, don’t contribute to the suffering of the Palestinians.
Please follow the advice on the leaflet to safeguard what your family consumes this Ramadan.
Ramadan Kareem.
Update
After the video went viral, it’s come to our notice that Mehadrin’s page on Medjoul dates showing it supplies Offa Exotics has mysteriously disappeared… it says “the page may have been removed” [accessed 17-02-2025].
- https://mehadrin.co.il/product/dates-medjoul-dates/
The web archive still shows the original page (last captured 24 Dec 2024).
- https://web.archive.org/web/20241224060626/https://mehadrin.co.il/product/dates-medjoul-dates/
Boycott Israeli Dates - Leaflet
Boycott Israeli Dates - The Facts
🟩 Israel is the world’s 3rd largest($) net exporter of dates worth $273 million in 2023.
🟩 75% of the world’s Medjoul dates are produced in Israel. 60% are grown on illegal settlement plantations. Its their most profitable crop, both in export value and profit margin (33%).
🟩 UK is Israel’s 2nd largest market for dates worth $24 million in 2023 (4k tons).
🟩 UK imports more than 3x as many dates from Israel than any other country. 1 in 3 dates bought in the UK is from Israel (2023).
🟩 #CheckTheLabel is not enough Israel has been caught labelling Israeli dates, grown on stolen land, as ‘produce of Palestine’, especially to target Muslims during Ramadan when Medjoul sales spike by 57%.
Guide To Buying Dates
❎ CLEARLY LABELLED ISRAELI DATES
Supermarket brands: M&S, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Aldi, Asda, Waitrose, Morrisons. Israeli brands: Hadiklaim, Mehadrin, King Solomon, Jordan River. Boycott them !
❎ UNLABELLED HENCE UNLAWFUL DATES
Packaging often includes Arabic text, Palestine flags claiming to be from Palestine but no contact details of producer or importer included. This is fraudulent- report to trading standards .
❎ UNVERIFIED PALESTINIAN DATES
Genuine companies claiming their dates are from Palestine but we haven’t yet verified all their dates are from Palestine. Avoid until verified.
✅ FULLY VERIFIED PALESTINIAN DATES
Yaffa, Zaytoun, Holy Land Dates. Buy and support them as they support the Palestinians. 🇵🇸 🇵🇸 🇵🇸
More Information
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