Tales from the heart: Picking citrus on Gaza border farms

When plucking grapefruits off a tree laden with heavy fruit, you get bonked on the head every now and then. 

That’s one lesson I’ve learned while volunteering on farms near the Gaza border. 

Before October 7, these farms supplied 70 percent of Israel’s fresh produce as well as produce for export. 

Now they are struggling to survive. Hamas terrorists killed, kidnapped or scared off most of the foreign farmworkers and destroyed or stole expensive agricultural equipment and infrastructure. Aside from equipment, the attacks caused approximately $500 million of lost farm…