An exploration of Palestinian agricultural history and the environmental & socio-political consequences of Israel’s cultivation techniques
“It was only after we made the desert bloom that [Palestinians] became interested in taking it from us.” – former Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol
It is often said that before the arrival of Zionist settlers, Palestine was a barren and abandoned desert with no people to care for it. According to this claim, settlers entered Palestine and developed the land into a so-called ‘agricultural paradise’—in their words, “making the desert bloom.” However, Zionists strategically devised this myth to legitimise the creation of the state of Israel, using a common colonial-inspired trope to justify land theft and occupation. What Israel claimed to be an inefficient misuse of a vast uncultivated space was, in reality, an agriculturally-dependent society well-placed in a fertile zone of the Middle East. In the following years, Israel destroyed vast amounts of this fertile and productive land to make place for illegal settler colonies and unsustainable agricultural techniques. Zionist settlers did not enter a destitute Palestine. They entered a culturally and agriculturally prosperous region with dedicated caretakers, co-opting its vitality in their name.
Debunking this myth begins with understanding Palestine’s agricultural history, driven by its location in the ‘Fertile Crescent.’ This crescent refers to land spanning much of the Middle East, characterised by its rich soils and sufficient access to water. Although a vast majority of Palestine is desert-land, this does not imply that it is fundamentally infertile or lacking agricultural potential. Rather, its location within this crescent has allowed it to develop into an agriculturally prosperous region due to the presence of aquifers which store mineral-rich water.
The Zionist claim that Palestinian land was uncultivated and barren before their entry is completely unfounded. In fact, Palestine was a primarily agricultural-oriented society before the 1948 Nakba, responsibly using the land as a means of subsistence. The Survey of Palestine conducted by British Mandate authorities shows how successful initial Palestinian cultivation of the land really was. It notes that Palestinians produced approximately 136 000 tons of Jaffa melons, 78 000 tons of Tulkarm olives and 189 000 tons of vegetables from 1944 to 1945. In fact, had it not been for the British-facilitated dispossession of Palestinian farmland by Zionist settlers, Palestine’s cultivation trajectory would have promised an intensive agricultural system. Evidently, Palestinian farmers were productively using the land pre-1948 and laid the foundation for the largely successful agriculture sector that Israel claims as their own today.
Even in areas of mild or minimal soil fertility, Indigenous Bedouins across Palestine have historically managed to sustain themselves through traditional farming knowledge and techniques. Well-adapted to arid conditions, Bedouins have a thorough understanding of desert hydrology. Notably, in the Negeb desert highlands, Bedouins have worked with scientists to inform the proper implementation of water catchments to restore regional gullies and promote sustainable cultivation. This project is a rare example of an agricultural intervention that considers Indigenous Bedouin perspectives and actively includes them as stakeholders of the land. In reality, the majority of agricultural land in occupied Palestine is strictly under Israeli control with unsustainable, energy-costly approaches being taken to further its development.
Notably, Israel’s irresponsible use of water sources has been well-documented over the last decade. The deep-seated drive to create prosperity in an ‘otherwise barren’ land has led to numerous state-funded agricultural projects – from deepwater drilling and dam construction to newer desalination and hydroponic technologies. The creation of dams was intended for keeping aquifer reserves well-hydrated; however, excessive pumping has led to their drying out. High amounts of water being pumped out of aquifers during purification have also led to pollution and threats to plant and animal habitats. Further, the proposed newer technologies are unlikely to replace groundwater stores or adequately substitute for traditional, intensive farming techniques.
Israel’s tireless chase towards replenishing water sources not only brings to light an environmental disaster, but also tragically parallels the water crises occurring across Palestinian territories. Israel’s land occupation has trickled over to water resources, with organisations such as UNICEF, Amnesty International, and B’tselem reporting the state’s unjust sequestration of the resource and its related infrastructures. Palestinian communities have been barred from nearly all water access for over 50 years, requiring permits to establish any collection and sanitation infrastructure. With that, clean water access has become a growing issue, especially in Gaza, with the vast majority of supply being unfit for direct consumption. This limited water access also directly funnels back into Palestinian agricultural prosperity, as farmers lack the adequate resources to sustain crops throughout growing seasons. Year after year, the facade of a ‘blossoming desert’ becomes even more costly for Israel to maintain and strategically takes the toll on Palestinian livelihoods first.
It is essential to note that this myth is not limited to discussion within scientific circles only; the myth provides a direct insight into Israel’s settler-colonial past and present. It illuminates textbook tactics of greenwashing, unjust distribution of resources, and shameful erasure of Indigenous knowledge systems and historical presence on the land. The idealised mask of modernisation and scientific advancement also underscores Orientalist narratives that depict Arabs as ‘uncivilised’ and in need of Western ideological interventions. A careful analysis of this blooming desert myth reveals the interconnected nature of Israel’s desperate hold over Palestinian infrastructure and resources; behind it all lies a shameful awareness of who is truly ‘interested in taking the land.’
