YASHA LEVINE, [email protected], @yashalevine
Available for a limited number of interviews, Levine is co-director of the film Pistachio Wars and just wrote the piece “California’s War on Iranian Pistachios.”
Citing his work, Drop Site News recently reported that the opening strikes of the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign targeted the “heart of Iran’s pistachio trade. … Iran was once the world’s leading pistachio producer. Today, USDA data show the U.S., led by California, accounts for roughly 65 percent of global output, while Iran’s share has fallen to about 18 percent. In the first week of the war, reports and geolocated satellite imagery indicated strikes in and around Rafsanjan, the heart of Iran’s pistachio sector, including apparent damage to pistachio warehouse facilities near the airport.
“The Resnick family, owners of The Wonderful Company and dominant players in California’s pistachio industry, have used political influence to secure vast water rights in drought-stricken regions, at the expense of local communities. The 2025 documentary Pistachio Wars examines their longstanding backing of pro-Israel lobbying groups, arguing that hawkish policies toward Iran align with their commercial interests, as weakening a key global competitor benefits their bottom line.”
Levine’s related articles include “California pistachio billionaires fund the IDF and back Israel’s genocidal regime.”
His books include Surveillance Valley: The Secret Military History of the Internet. He is currently working on a documentary titled Vampire Valley.