Samuel Dalou, whose family has run a produce market in the West Bank city of Ramallah for decades, was astonished when local farmers suddenly began arriving in droves offering fresh produce at extremely competitive prices.
When Ahmad Salim arrived from Jenin to offer his produce, Dalou half jokingly asked how he had managed to infiltrate the border to bring such high-quality Israeli vegetables. "This is from our farms in Jenin," Salim proudly replied.
Dalou, whose family fled to Ramallah from Lydda in 1948, was further taken aback when he heard the price Salim was offering — roughly half what he was able to obtain through the regular middlemen who brought Israeli produce.
Salim, like many young Palestinians, became a farmer out of necessity. "Since I was young, I enjoyed reading world literature and philosophy," he told Arab News. "But the conditions of life forced me to adapt. When the Israelis stopped all work permits, I focused my efforts on helping others return to our land. My brother installed solar panels to pump and provide water to previously unused areas. I supported my friend Ehab and encouraged him to establish an agricultural nursery."
Read more at Arab News
