History of the citrus industry in Israel
Between 1930 and 1940, 1.5 Hectares of land near Tel Mond were purchased from Palestine Plantation Co. in order to plant orchards and build a house. The transaction was to be carried out over a period of several years, but encountered difficulties when World War II broke out. Zenovar submitted its expert legal opinion, which required a historical analysis of the citrus industry in pre-state Israel.
During the period in which the agreement was signed, there was great optimism regarding the citrus industry in Palestine. As a result, large investments were made in the field by various people and organizations. Multiple challenges and hardships shattered the enthusiastic predictions, changing the entire local business environment as of the late 1930s.
In 1926, Palestine boasted 3,800 Hectares of citrus orchards. During that year, planting was expedited and by 1937 there were 30,000 Hectares throughout Palestine, in other words, the citrus industry multiplied by 7.8 in a single decade. Jewish-owned orchards covered approximately 15,500 Hectares when the industry began to suffer a severe economic crisis, as made evident by the extreme uprooting rates. In 1944, Jews owned only 11,400 Hectares and by the War of Independence, only 9,800 Hectares remained. This means that 37% of the Jewish-owned orchards were uprooted due to difficulties in returning loans taken during World War II, the struggle to continue to cultivate the orchards during the difficult post-war years and during the War of Independence, and the need to find more profitable use for the land.
In the legal opinion submitted, Zenovar analyzed the structure of the transaction, the business atmosphere that existed when the agreement was signed, and the turmoil of the years to follow. This helped achieve a better understanding of the considerations made by both parties at the time. More information can be found in the court ruling.
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Economic History
Expert Legal Opinion