The Fruit They Can’t Ban

Last week, passengers arriving in Amsterdam from Tel Aviv were reportedly stopped at customs and told, “Everyone from Israel, come over here!” Their bags were screened due to as a new Dutch ban prohibiting products from Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem and the Golan, including items carried in personal luggage.

You would hope Europe had learned enough from its own history to be uncomfortable with the sight of Jews being pulled aside while authorities search their bags. But I wanted to share this incident because of a powerful connection to the holiday of Sukkot that Jews are now celebrating throughout the world.

The Torah calls Sukkot “Chag HaAsif” – the Festival of Ingathering, because this was the time when Jews gathered the produce of the Land and celebrated the harvest. The Talmud asks how we will know that the long Jewish exile is finally coming to an end. Rabbi Abba points to the words of the prophet Ezekiel: “You, mountains of Israel, shall give forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel, for they are soon to come.”

For almost 2,000 years Jews read those words while living everywhere but Israel. Today Jews are growing grapes in Judea, harvesting olives, growing dates and making wine from this land again. We are watching Jewish prophecy come alive – which makes the timing of this Dutch policy almost unbelievable. Right before “Chag HaAsif” – our Festival of Gathering, a European government has decided that some of the very fruits being grown by Jews who returned to their land are forbidden.

The Dutch can call our wine contraband. They can check the label, search our suitcases and confiscate the bottles. But the vineyards will keep growing. The Jewish people have come home. We have waited for Israel to give us its fruit. They can ban what they want, but no government can stop the prophesy.