fellaheen: the farmers

the founding of the state of israel in 1948 was made possible through the settler colonial destruction of palestine, a place my family has resided in for as long as anyone im related to can recall. early “israeli” promotional efforts touted the newly formed country as one that ‘made the desert bloom,’ while the indigenous palestinian farmers, the fellaheen, were subject to the devastation of their oft-blooming land. the industrialization of agricultural farmland over time has further weakened the autonomy of the palestinian farmer. this scenario is not unique. all over the world, farming communities are subject to attempts to weaken food autonomy, create dependence on industrial agriculture, and deplete cultural identity and culinary sovereignty.

since 1967, when the occupation of all of historic palestine began, palestinian farmers have been suffering from the chemical pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, mono cropping, pernicious middlemen, and unsustainable prices and wages that appear as nearly insurmountable byproducts of the agricultural conditions “israel’s” existence imposes. the occupation takes many forms. palestinian farmers have access to less than a tenth of the water that “israeli” farmers do. palestinian grocery stores are forced to carry “israeli” products. if one cannot control one’s own food supply, one cannot maintain political and economic independence.

self-reliance is further threatened by the conditions of climate change, “israeli” settler destruction of heirloom crops and olive trees (almost 1 million olive trees destroyed since 1948), military expropriation of terraced lands, and disorganization and corruption within the palestinian administration. 

as a palestinian american-born woman growing up between salt lake city and the west bank, i have experienced both the conditions of living under occupation and the omni-present violence it implies, and the freedom that america offers in the way of opportunity, movement, and growth. watching the media — and culinary culture in general — assist “israel” in its obfuscation of palestinians and their cultural heritage is disconcerting at the minimum. food that my grandmother was served by her grandmother, is now portrayed as “israeli” cuisine, while she is denied the same rights as those that enjoy said cuisine.