Delilah is a Medjool date brand marketed by Hadiklaim, the Israel Date Growers’ Cooperative, Israel’s largest exporter of dates. The brand is sold internationally, especially in Europe and during Ramadan, when demand for dates rises. While packaging often states “Produce of Israel,” Hadiklaim sources and processes some of its dates in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Because of these links, Delilah is included in boycott campaigns against settlement agriculture.
Hadiklaim acts as the central hub of Israel’s date industry, representing growers across Israel and operating directly in settlement areas of the occupied West Bank. The cooperative runs a packing house in Beit Ha’Arava settlement and integrates fruit from settlement plantations into its global exports. This makes it nearly impossible for consumers to distinguish between dates grown inside Israel and those grown on occupied land.
The cooperative’s model profits from land and water taken from Palestinian communities. Settlement farms in the Jordan Valley enjoy abundant irrigation, while nearby Palestinian villages face chronic shortages. Human rights investigations have further documented Palestinian adults and children working in these plantations under unsafe, low-wage conditions, highlighting systemic exploitation within Hadiklaim’s supply chain.
Because Hadiklaim dominates Israel’s date exports, boycotting brands like Delilah targets one of the settlement economy’s most significant revenue streams. This pressure interrupts the normalization of settlement produce in global markets and challenges a system that relies on Palestinian land, resources, and labor without consent.
To find alternatives to Israeli dates in Canada, choose dates explicitly labeled as Palestinian, such as those from brands like Palestine Just Trade, Lara, Nabet, and Jericho Delights.
You can also look for dates from other countries like Orchid Dates from California or trusted Palestinian brands such as Zaytoun, Yaffa, and Canaan Palestine.
When selecting dates, avoid those labeled "Produce of Israel." And note: Barcode 729 indicates a GS1 Israel product license, but barcodes are not a reliable guarantee of origin.