BackOlives have been grown in the West Bank for centuries. Since Biblical times , the area has been considered by many as the original home of the olives and olive oil. The Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane still contain olive trees that were growing during the time of Christ. Olives therefore have a sacred connection to the Jews, Christians and Moslems , and are blessed and prized with numerous verses in the Torah, Bible and the Quran.
The West Bank is a recognized olive oil producer with distinct quality that has been confirmed in studies done by certified oil tester world wide. According to recent statistics the olive oil sector involves about 20% of the population with olives returning about 18% of the Gross Domestic Income. Thus olive oil impacts not only the economic but also the social well being of most Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
Original olive cultivars are well-suited to the dry land conditions of the West Bank environment and remain the primary source of our olive oil. Olives are grown on about 927,000 dunumms (231,750 acres) of the West Bank land and in 2006 produced about 33,000 Mt of olive oil.
Recent studies have proven the health-enhancing qualities of using olive oil in one's regular diet due in part to its antioxidant nature. Ingesting olive oil can have a positive effect as it lowers bad LDL cholesterol while maintaining good HDL cholesterol and it is a good source of Vitamin E. Because of this fact, olive oil has enjoyed resurgence in use as a supplement to foods and general body and skin care , thus enjoying dramatic increase in usage and demands. Olive oil from Palestine
(the Holly Land) has a unique appeal because of its tested quality and because of the magic associated with the product being from the Holy Land.