A biblical rest from farming in Israel could help Gaza's growers. They are waiting

https://www.npr.org/2021/12/26/ [login to see] /israel-gaza-farm-bible-rest
The Palestinian farmers of Gaza are attuned to the rhythms of the Jewish calendar and have anxiously awaited this moment.

Every seven years, the Bible commands farmers in the Holy Land to give their fields a rest (Leviticus 25). The yearlong agricultural sabbath, called the shmita in Hebrew, began this fall.

Most Israeli farmers continue to plow their fields. But to help feed the strictest Jewish followers of the tradition — many of the ultra-Orthodox communities that make up nearly 13% of Israel's population — Israel vows to loosen its tight restrictions on vegetable exports from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.