As the holy month of Ramadan begins, Muslims worldwide are observing daily fasts, relying on dates as a staple for Iftar.
However, amid the ongoing calls for a boycott of Israeli products due to the war in Gaza, concerns have emerged regarding the availability of Israeli Medjool dates in Karachi’s markets.
Social activist Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Jr. recently raised the issue on social media, pointing out that Israeli-produced dates have been spotted in supermarkets across the city.
Medjool dates, originally cultivated in Morocco, are also grown in Palestine, Jordan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.
However, Israel remains the largest exporter of this variety, with many of its date plantations located in illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
The presence of Israeli dates in Pakistan has drawn criticism, with activists urging citizens to verify the source of products before making a purchase. Given the situation in Gaza, where thousands of Palestinians have been killed and displaced due to Israeli military actions, there has been a renewed push to ensure that local consumers do not inadvertently support Israeli businesses.
Identifying Israeli products
Consumers have been advised to check the barcodes on date packaging to determine the country of origin. Products manufactured in Israel typically have a barcode starting with “729”, which indicates registration under the Israeli branch of GS1, the global standard organization for barcodes.
However, activists warn that some imported Israeli products may be repackaged under different branding to obscure their origin. In such cases, they recommend thoroughly checking labels, researching brands online, and opting for alternatives from Palestinian or Middle Eastern sources.
The call for a boycott of Israeli goods has gained traction globally, with many Muslim-majority countries actively discouraging trade with Israeli firms.
In Pakistan, where public sentiment remains strongly in favour of Palestinian rights, many citizens have expressed their resolve to avoid Israeli products, particularly during Ramadan.
"It is our moral and religious duty to ensure that our purchases do not, in any way, contribute to the suffering of Palestinians," Bhutto Jr. said in a statement, urging supermarkets to remove Israeli dates from their shelves.
