Saving Israel’s Agriculture Sector
Makor Rishon, Israel, August 8
The public discourse surrounding the agricultural reform led by Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman reveals the extent to which Zionism denies the very foundations on which it was built. It’s impossible to evaluate the local agricultural sector through the mere lens of fruit and vegetable prices. Yes, savings of 800 shekels a year for the average Israeli consumer is important, but there are also more noteworthy considerations. The arguments raised by farmers and their representatives against the reform focus on food security for Israeli society in the wake of an emergency or global shortages in supply. They also revolve around maintaining an economic lifeline for the Israeli geographical periphery. But all of these arguments miss the most important point: Agriculture in Israel isn’t an economic consideration; it’s first and foremost a guiding principle, a national value. One of the core values of the Zionist revolution, and perhaps the most important of them, was the settlement of the land. The agricultural settlement – the moshav and the kibbutz – allowed Zionist pioneers to cultivate the land and settle the wilderness. Agriculture wasn’t just a source of livelihood. It was a noble goal that extended well beyond a vocation. The first wave of immigrants to Israel established communities and saw agriculture and the settlement of the land as their main ambition. Similarly, the second wave of pioneers established kibbutzim and moshavim. They didn’t establish cities or local industries. Their focus was agriculture alone. This Zionist idealism and its values should not be abandoned. In fact, they must be restored and renewed. Former President Ezer Weizman coined the famous slogan “our best sons – to the air force,” in an attempt to encourage the enlistment of combat pilots. The late Israeli publicist Uri Orbach followed suit and coined the paraphrase “our best sons – to journalism.” Now, in the wake of the agricultural crisis we’re facing in Israel, which seeks to turn every agricultural plot of land into real estate development land, we must openly and proudly say: “Our best sons and daughters – to agriculture!” –Moti Karpel (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)
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