Mujaer Cepret: Israel begins to suffer

Saturday 24 January 2009

Israel begins to suffer

Photo by André Karwath aka Aka

1. Fruit growers in Israel have reported reductions in orders, due to various boycotts against Israeli produce.

Ilan Eshel, director of the Organization of Fruit Growers in Israel, says the boycott did not exist before the Gaza offensive was launched. "It's getting worse, and more voices can be heard calling to boycott Israeli merchandise." - Farmers claim UK, Jordan boycotting Israeli fruit - Israel Money ...

2. Boycotting Israeli produce:

"Fruit and vegetable exports are crucial to the Israeli economy.

"If you're not in the habit of checking the country of origin on fruit and vegetables to minimise food miles, you may not have noticed just how much Israeli produce is in our shops and supermarkets.

"At the moment, there are piles of new potatoes (though it's hard to see why anyone with a scrap of environmental awareness would buy these when our indigenous main crop spuds are still firm and abundant), and that's just for starters.

"If you go out today and buy avocadoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, Medjoul dates, sharon fruit (persimmons), chillies, oranges, pomegranates, grapefruit or fresh herbs, it's extremely likely that they will be Israeli.

"Most of this produce carries country of origin labelling or is branded as Carmel, Bio-Top or Jaffa. In the herb category, there's room - intentional or otherwise - for confusion.

"Increasingly your dill, tarragon or basil may be labelled as 'West Bank'. This is not a Palestinian alternative to the Israeli option; it comes from Israeli settlements in Palestine's occupied territories." - Joanna Blythman: why I'm boycotting Israeli produce

3. "To President Obama we say: the wave of hope that met your election was heavily dampened by your silence on the Gaza massacre. This was compounded by your pre-election statement siding with the Israeli settlers of Sderot.

"You would do well to know the history of the places of which you speak. Sderot, which may be known to some as an Israeli town, lies on the ruins of Najd, a Palestinian village ransacked in May 1948 by Zionist terrorist gangs.

"Villagers were forced from their beds and homes with nothing but the clothes they were wearing, rendering them refugees for the next 61 years. That is the story of Sderot. It is never a good start to get your tyrant and victims mixed up." -Mousa Abu Marzook: A decisive loss for Israel

Both Mr Obama and Mr Holder have said that they believe some detainees may be too dangerous to be released but cannot be put on trial for various reasons. This could mean they would continue to he held indefinitely - Closing Guantanamo will be tough despite Obama's order