Israeli farms, core to the country’s national identity, for years employed Palestinian and Thai workers.
“My workers are gone because of the war; I’m panicking,“ said Gabi Swissa, 61, from his farm outside Kadima in central Israel.
For decades, he has counted on Palestinians and Thais to plant, harvest and pack strawberries.
Volunteers he had expected to help on his farm one day last week had not shown up.
Since the outset of the war, he said, farms are lacking at least 15,000 workers.
Persons:
Thais, I’m, “, Gabi Swissa, Swissa, ”, Yuval Lipkin
Organizations:
Volunteers, Ministry of Agriculture
Locations:
Gaza, Israel