This poster was published in the 1930s by the Agricultural Division of the Organization for the Products of the Land of Israel. The background of the poster is blue and the writing is white, symbolising the national colours. In the middle of the poster is an image of a large, peeled banana. The text above the banana reads: “Only the Hebrew banana marked with the Product of the Land symbol.” The symbol can be seen on the sticker attached to the banana which reads “Product of the Land” and has logo of a factory surrounded by two sheaths of wheat. On the right-hand side is a smiling girl dressed in a white shirt and grey vest. She is smiling and is holding a similar half-peeled banana with the same sticker.
This poster was created in the 1930s as part of a campaign to promote the purchase of Israeli products. The goal of the campaign was to support the young farming and industrial sectors and to protect them from competition from Arab farmers. At the time, many agricultural communities were facing not only security problems but also economic difficulties. Without financial support many moshavim and kibbutzim were unable to survive. This was also a response to the 1936 Arab Revolt, a nationalist uprising demanding Arab independence and an end to Jewish immigration and land purchases.
The poster was most likely designed by Otte Wallish who is famous for designing the Israeli Declaration of Independence scroll. The poster was created between 1936 and 1939 and is part of the Ari Wallish collection.
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Promotion of Jewish Produce During the British Mandate – During the British Mandate, Jews, Arabs, and the British rulers lived side by side. In the economic sphere, the Yishuv (the Jewish community in pre-state Israel) took active steps to promote the Jewish economy. By doing so, they were fulfilling the Zionist goal of creating the infrastructure for a Jewish state and providing jobs for new immigrants. The Jewish leadership promoted Jewish produce in an attempt to strengthen the Jewish economy and protect Jewish workers from the cheaper Arab labour. Another goal was to create a new “healthy” and “normal” Jewish society in Israel which would include blue-collar workers in agriculture and industry. Money from Jewish philanthropists in the Diaspora was invested in the Jewish economy for the specific purpose of creating jobs to stimulate Jewish population growth in the country. These measures were reinforced with the buildup of the conflict and violence between the Jewish and Arab population during the time of the British Mandate.
Otte Wallish – Otte Wallish was a famous Israeli graphic artist. Born in Czechoslovakia in 1903, he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and opened his first studio in Prague. He immigrated to Israel with his family in 1934 and set up a design studio in Tel Aviv in 1935. He designed graphics and advertisements from many national institutions both pre- and post- State and a number of commercial companies. He is most well known for the calligraphy and design of the Declaration of Independence and for designing Israel’s first postage stamps.
