Industrious Gush Katif Farmers Try To Relocate As Many Are Still Unemployed

The farming industry in Gush Katif was a highly successful contributor to the Israeli economy until the disengagement plan removed Israel’s presence there. Of all goods exported from Israel, 70 percent of the organic vegetables, 60 percent of the herbs, and 15 percent of all agricultural exports came from the Gush.

“This was a pretty successful area,” said Anita Tucker, a spokeswoman for Gush Katif and formerly of the community of Netzer Hazani.

Anita owned an insect free celery farm whose product went to the export and local market. Her sons had a business of organic cherry tomatoes that were exported to Europe and the US.
Now they are all unemployed.

“Nobody took into account that Anita Tucker is 59 years old and she could have grown in her green houses for another 70 years,” said Mrs Tucker.

“[The] green houses would have been fine for growing but in tax terms, they didn’t have any value any more,” she explained adding that after a battle in the Knesset, a compromise was made and they were promised 60 percent of the value of the green houses.

However, putting up a new green house costs between fifteen and eighteen thousand dollars meaning Mrs. Tucker would have to take out loans for another 40 percent to rebuild her business.

With new towns for all the evacuees at least two to three years away, by the time the new businesses are built and with another 25 years needed to pay off the loans, Anita said the situation is a little crazy, even for a young person.

Also, the drive to take out loans is slow, especially with all the other expenses evacuees need to take into consideration. She explained that everything the people of Gush Katif originally built was from cash money and privately owned including their homes, which the government placed on a very low value scale fitting the southern part of the country.

“That means there’s not much chance that anyone in Gush Katif can really build a serious home [or business] on the level he built before anyone touched it,” Anita said.

Doron, another farmer from Gush Katif, found a warehouse to rent in the south near Netivot and moved his business there after a tiring search for a location. Like Anita, he also sold insect free vegetables though most of his crop went to the Israeli market.

Formerly a resident of Ganei Ohr, Doron currently packages produce from farms in the Negev.
“There was no help from the state,” Doron said when asked how he was funding his move and how he will rebuild his hot houses.

He said he was just at the bank yesterday asking for a loan and because of a lack of financial assistance and problems with paying workers, friends and volunteers came to support him.
Some of those volunteers, a group from Yeshivat Hamivtar in Gush Etzion, helped package the produce for the day after they heard about his hardship since being forcibly evacuated from Gaza.

“Regardless of ones political views, people who lost their homes and had their businesses uprooted are certainly going to have difficulties,” said Yitzhak Blau of Alon Shevut, one of the volunteers for the day.

“We thought it was important to help those who are struggling with their business losses -to minimize those losses,” said Blau.

And the losses are adding up, as there are many obstacles the once industrious Gush Katif farmers must overcome from finances to recreating the unique growing method that grew bugless vegetables.

According to the Torah, Jews are commanded not to eat bugs and with insect free vegetables, the problem is easily overcome and doesn’t require excess washing.

However, Yossi, the sit-in manager for the day at the Doron’s warehouse, explained that on most days the produce being processed was grown in the same manner as in Gush Katif where a mashgiach, or rabbi skilled in checking for bugs in crops, examined specimens under a microscope.

The rabbi’s findings and his decision allows the final product to be packaged and labeled ‘Gush Katif,” effectively alerting customers that the vegetables are grown in special locations and retain their special status.

Yossi said that while some produce arriving to the new plant was not “Gush Katif’ quality, eventually all future operations would go in that direction, as the reconstructed businesses will replicate the special method.

Meanwhile, with the Jewish New Year past and the new planting season having arrived, the people who once worked the ground and hot houses of Gush Katif are praying for a better future in light of the way they feel the government treated them.

The most important strength they say they still garner is optimism and the will not to go under.
Like their demand to the government that solutions be found to keep their communities in tact, they vow to try and rebuild their businesses and start over just like Jews have done time and time again.