Like the other Arab Spring countries, Egypt’s economy is a major concern. Within a decade Egypt’s labor force is going to hit nearly 80 million, MEI senior fellow Mirette F. Mabrouk pointed out. “These are young people who are forging ahead in IT, technology innovation and climate change research, and are no longer willing to be told what to do. I think the next couple of years…will be deeply indicative of how the country decides to move forward.” Mabrouk said if the EU and the U.S. are interested in a stable Egypt, “then really what you are looking at is economic involvement. It’s not more military or more military funding, it’s economic involvement, economic investment.” The main issues in Tunisia are “keeping the democratic transition on track, attempting to save an economy in free fall and maintaining security in a very rough neighborhood,” said American University professor William Lawrence. In September, parliament approved its third government in less than one year, but “this democratic experiment has been the longest and strongest ever in the Arab world,” he pointed out. “It’s been kind of a story of two revolutions—a political one and a socioeconomic one. The political one has largely succeeded; the socioeconomic one has largely failed.” —Elaine Pasquini
Palestine’s Olive Trees Provide More than Delicious Food
Nasser Abufarha, the founder of Canaan Palestine, participated in a webinar on Nov. 9 to discuss the Palestinian olive oil business. The event was hosted by Zaytoun, a UK-based distributor of Palestinian artisanal goods. Canaan Palestine is known for its highquality organic olive oil, as well as other food items, such as spices, grains and tapenades. The Washington Report’s bookstore, Middle East Books and More, has proudly sold Canaan’s products for decades. Abufarha began by reflecting on what the olive tree means to Palestinians. “The olive tree in Palestine is the majestic tree,” he said. “For us, it’s a symbol of our idenJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021
PHOTO COURTESY CANAAN PALESTINE
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Nasser Abufarha (c) enjoying Canaan’s 2019 olive harvest festival in Palestine.
tity as a people….This is the home of the olive tree, it’s indigenous to the land, and so are we.” Many olive trees in Palestine are over 1,000 years old, with some even believed to be 2,000-3,000 years old. Abufarha said the longevity of the olive plant offers Palestinians a sense of timelessness and generational unity. “These trees have been living and feeding us for thousands of years,” he noted. “Past generations have planted so we can eat, and we plant so future generations will eat.” In an era of industrialized farming that abuses the earth and separates people from their food, Abufarha said he is proud that Canaan has helped Palestine maintain its traditional, environmentally friendly farming practices. Canaan’s methods also preserve culture and support independent farmers, he noted. “The whole idea is to allow the smallscale farmers to survive under the conditions of a modern economy that is mostly [centered around] industrialized agriculture…that is focused on bringing prices down as much as possible, often at the expense of farmers,” he said. “What we’ve done at Canaan is make traditional farming viable, economic,” he continued. The company promotes “a way of living that is real, a way of living that is harmonious with nature, a way of living that we can preserve into the future,” he added.
Abufarha boasted that after more than 5,000 years of cultivation, the Palestinian soil is still bountiful. This, he said, can be attributed to the care and respect countless generations have shown for the land. “We have an ecosystem that is ancient and still living and thriving and producing, and a community that is finding life, meaning and identity in nurturing it,” he said. Abufarha thanked Canaan’s customers from around the world for their willingness to pay a little more to support a company that uplifts farmers, protects the environment and sustains the culture of a people living under occupation. Of course, he noted that it’s easier for consumers to eschew mass-produced olive oils in favor of Canaan’s products given the “exceptionally high quality” product the company provides. While day-to-day life is never simple or easy in Palestine, Abufarha said being surrounded by timeless olive tress gives him continual hope and resolve. “When I look at the olive tree, I see strength, the capacity to live, the capacity to sustain and produce,” he said. —Dale Sprusansky
DIPLOMATIC DOINGS Former Ambassadors Reflect on Time in Arab World, U.S. Diplomacy
Six former U.S. ambassadors to Arab countries participated in a Zoom call with
WASHINGTON REPORT ON MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS
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