Thesis

Agriculture group, Yonghun Kim and Yuzhang Su focused on the analysis of Palestinians facing agricultural and environmental problems in Jericho and the Jordan Valley region, underscoring Israel’s policies and the impact of settlements on the West Bank. Historically, the Jericho region was known for its agriculture, and a variety of produce was harvested, especially bananas, which were the main crop in this region. However, it has now been converted to the majority of date palm cultivation, except for a few banana plantations. Palestinian farmers in the Jericho region have shifted their farming methods because of challenges caused by soil salinazation, water resource reduction, and several other factors. And now, their date palm farming practices face a significant challenge: extensive water controls excercised by Israeli authorities.

Agriculture in this region relies heavily on spring water, and water scarcity emerges as a major constraint. However, over time, Israeli settlements in the West Bank have monopolized such valuable water resources. Such water use by Israeli settlements has led Palestinian farmers to significantly reduce the availability of essential resources, further exacerbating the challenges facing Jericho's regional agriculture. This water crisis not only changed the landscape of the region but also had a significant impact on the type of crops. According to the research, "The Political Role of Date Palm Trees in the Jordan Valley," Palestinian farmers in the Jericho region switched from banana farming to date palm farming because Medjoul dates are less affected by dry climatic conditions and soil salinity, and require much less irrigation than other crops. After all, the shift of agricultural practices to date palm is a sustainable option for Palestinian farmers facing soil salting and water shortages.

Efforts to mitigate the impact of water resource constraints in the Jericho region were initiated through international cooperation projects. In particular, it proposed the "Corridor for Peace and Prosperity" project in 2014 to support the two-state solution of Israel and Palestine by the Japanese government. The project focused on improving the living conditions of Palestinian refugee camps, and in particular, on increasing water availability in local agriculture for date farmers in the Jericho region.

Israeli settlements have been established in the Jordan Valley and near Jericho, where Israeli farmers in settlements conduct agriculture on date palms and other crops. However, their farming methods and practices have raised considerable concern due to the labor exploitation of Palestinian workers, including adults and children working on inadequate wages. According to the Jericho Labor Office, about 3000 Jericho locals are employed in Israeli settlements, especially during the harvest season, surging to about 8000. However, Palestinian workers who work on farms in settlements are under hazardous working conditions, with their rights and safety not properly protected. In the research, "Ripe For Abuse," it was noted that both Palestinian adults and children are paid well below the minimum wage stipulated under Israeli labor law, and they cannot even demand a pay rise out of fear of layoffs. This eventually creates an environment where the exploitation of labor persists. The existence of Israeli settlements in the West Bank's Jericho region extends to the control and allocation of water resources, and influences such as labor exploitation pose a huge obstacle to agricultural development in the region.

These factors have a very large negative effect on agriculture for the Palestinians. They have shown adaptability and resilience in the face of hardship and adversity to agricultural practices, but the factors mentioned are devastating to the environment and economy of the Jericho region. Palestinian farmers have shown adaptability with soil salinization and the transition to date palm despite the water crisis, but the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict exacerbates the challenges facing farmers. It is important to find solutions that can protect the livelihoods and agriculture of Palestinians in the Jericho region while solving problems such as water scarcity, soil salinity, exploitation of labor, and the impact of settlements in the West Bank.