Page 19 - HaMizrachi #6 TuBishvat 5779

Marvels of The Land of Israel

Wine
and the ingenuity of its people

· This land had been ‘dry’ for thirteen centuries,
ever since the Moslem conquerors in the seventh
century ripped all grape vines out of the ground. Part of the
Jewish people's return to its homeland in the 19th, 20th and
21st centuries has involved the reintroduction of quality
grape-growing and wine-making.
· In 1890, Baron Edmond de Rothschild’s new winery in Rishon LeZion took in Fruit and Veg
its rst harvest. David Yudelevich, one the workers, described the scene in his
journal: “The bell rang at 4 am to wake up the army of young and old, men and women
and children, armed with pruning shears. The carts over owing with grapes began streaming · Every year, Israel exports more than $2 billion worth of
into the crushing vats… and we all sang: ‘Awaken oh People of Israel. Your youth has returned to produce and is among the world’s top developers of
the Land. Your redemption is near.’” better-looking, better-tasting, disease-resistant and more
· Israel now has more than 300 active wineries, producing close to 40 million bottles of Agricultural Innovation nutritious varieties of fruit and vegetables.
wine a year! More than 60,000 dunams (15,000 acres) of land are currently under ·The seedless Beit Alpha cucumber was introduced in 1936. Its descendants –
grape cultivation as vineyards. including the Yokneam pineapple and Ogen melon (later the Galia melon) – also
· Each year, Israel exports approximately set a global commercial standard.
· “New vineyards with classic varieties... has transformed Israeli wines, 45 million tons of potash, a fertilizer, making
as has modern technology and internationally trained it the fourth largest exporter of the product after · Orangetti spaghetti squash was the rst hybrid Israeli vegetable grown in the United States
winemakers.” Hugh Johnson, Pocket Wine Book Canada, Russia and Germany. under its own name.
· “The country’s entire wine industry has gained global · In 1965, Simcha Blass and Kibbutz Hatzerim began to · Ben Dor Fruits and Nurseries’ grapefruit-pomelo hybrid is marketed overseas as Sweetie. It's sweeter
recognition.” Tom Stevenson, Sotheby’s Wine Guide mass-produce the world's rst modern drip irrigator, which helps and less acidic than a grapefruit, smaller than a pomelo and much easier to peel.
individual farmers, regions and countries to conserve more water. · The development of the mini seedless red pepper began at the Israeli seed company Zeraim Gedera. Angello, the
· In 1983, Mario Moshe Levi and Yaakov Nakash launched Bio-Bee rst seedless bell pepper in the world, won the Fruit Logistica Innovation Award in 2012.
Water Biological Systems, which cultivates bees, wasps and mites for pest control · In 1980, Chaim Rabinovitch and Nachum Keidar genetically modi ed a tomato into a miniature
and natural pollination, without harming the environment or carrying version called the cherry tomato.
· Israel is a revolutionary superpower in water harmful side e ects. · The Nano watermelon, a product resulting from three years of development by Origene
desalination technology and markets desalination · In 1997, Jaap van Rijn created a unique zero-discharge Seeds, Hishtil Nurseries and Itai Gal, a farmer from Moshav Ein Yahav, is sweeter than its
facilities to many other countries (some indirectly). system to recycle water from sh farms. He revolutionized larger ancestor, a slightly di erent color and no heavier than 6.6 pounds.
· Some of the largest desalination plants around the world the world's ability to reproduce sh anywhere using · The Anna apple was developed by horticulturist Ephraim Slor and named
(which produce more than 100 million cubic meters a year) are located extremely limited amounts of water and after his daughter. Most apple varieties need a winter chill to thrive, but
in Israel. without harming the environment. Anna ripens in the early summer and grows in hot climates such as
· Approximately 90% of the wastewater generated in Israel is reused, mostly Indonesia, southern California and southern Texas.
for agriculture, making it the world's leading nation in water recycling. Spain
recycles 20% of its wastewater, making it the second largest nation for water reuse.
The USA currently recycles only 1% of its wastewater. Natural Resources
· 50% of drinking water for the Israeli population (2017) is desalinated water.
· In 1955, Dr Harry Zvi Tabor developed black stripping that gathers solar · Israel's natural resources include
energy and connects it to a contraption to collect heated water, the Solar potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate
Water Collector. rock, magnesium bromide, clays and sand.
· In 2008, Amir Peleg launched Takadu, a software platform · There are close to one trillion cubic meters of
that allows cities, regions and countries to monitor their natural gas in Israel’s ve o shore elds. 40% of Israel’s
water infrastructure and to detect leaks and burst electricity production is currently fueled by natural gas from
pipes, saving millions of gallons of water. one of them, Tamar, alone.
· The high salinity of Israel's waters allows it to be a leading exporter
of magnesium bromide, a useful mineral found in numerous
sedatives and anti-convulsant medications.
· The Dead Sea is estimated to contain at least 1 billion
tons of bromine.
·Israel has the world’s third-largest quantity
of oil shale (behind the US and China).