"The Land of Sad Oranges": The Politics of Israeli-Palestinian Citriculture
This summer, I worked with Professor Heather Sharkey as well as three other students, Nadia Mokhallalati, Iman Syed, and Jade Gonzalez. We worked with Professor Sharkey to do research for her book navigating Middle Eastern history through fifteen foods, as well as her concurrent class on the same subject. Furthermore, we also each chose an ingredient to do independent research on in the context of the Middle East. I chose to focus on the evolution of citrus fruits and their significance in the Israel-Palestine region, particularly oranges and grapefruit.
Through my research, I was able to navigate the evolution of citrus in this region and it was fascinating to see the rise and fall of this classification of fruits. Prior to this project, I hadn't known that citrus had any political connections, so it was interesting to see the numerous factors that went into its politicization—trade relations and tariffs, war, land ownership, class dynamics, labor costs, religious turmoil, autonomy (or lack thereof), government interests, and the Israel-Palestine conflict more broadly. There were even a few factors that weren't inherently political—more of just bad luck—like poor climate and insect invasions. Although Jaffa oranges were world-renowned for their taste and quality, their reputation could not withstand the overabundance of issues working against the citrus industry.
Since 1997, citrus production, harvest, and export in the Israel-Palestine region have been steadily declining, and it is highly unlikely that this area will ever be a world leader in citrus production ever again. It is interesting to see, however, that the Jaffa orange is still an enduring symbol of the Palestinian people and their connection to their homeland, and that many older Israeli people feel nostalgia for the fruit as well.
Comments
Fascinating Connection
Anika, this is such an exceptionally significant history on a household staple. Out of curiosity, what is the origin behind "The Land of Sad Oranges"?
Captivating analysis!
Anika, your poster and analysis of "citriculture" was both interesting and informative- especially in addressing the nuanced and complex array of social, political, religious, and economic factors that contributed to the decline of the Jaffa orange. What led you to choose the Jaffa orange and what sources/methods of historical research did you use?
Very interesting research
Anika, wonderful poster. Just a question, what were some of the ways that Israelis tried to revive Jaffa orange production and why did it fail?
Important Topic
I read an excerpt of Kanafani's book The Land of Sad Oranges for a prior class, and so I was drawn to your research project from the topic. We often do not realize how politics weaves its way into everything, even the growing of a fruit. To you and your team, great work!
Congratulations!
Anika, this research is terrific and is something that you should consider expanding for publication in an undergraduate research journal. You can feel proud of these results. It is amazing to think that your interests sprang from a literary source -- from the Palestinian writer Ghassan Kanafani's famous short story, "The Land of Sad Oranges"!
Comment
This was such a fascinating topic, and it was especially interesting to see the "hidden" effects of political conflict in something as seemingly-trivial as an orange. In 1933, what were the regulations implemented, and why were they implemented at this time? Was there a certain event or peak of conflict that triggered their passing?
New Insights
While I've tried to inform myself on the Israeli occupation of Palestine and ongoing efforts such as the BDS Movement, I had no idea about the symbolism of the Jaffa orange in the context of Palestinian independence. Thank you for sharing such a clear poster that wonderfully catalogues the history, evolution, and significance of the Jaffa oranges.
This is a really interesting…
This is a really interesting topic that I never would have learned about if not for your poster, great job! I have a question about the impact of losing the orange exports - has Palestine managed to replace the revenue from these exports in any way?