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A Druze woman washes apples at a packing warehouse in the Golan Heights near the border between Israel and Syria on Tuesday.
(AP)
Last update - 20:04 17/02/2009
Israel resumes annual shipment of Golan apples to Syria
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: druze, israel news 

Israel resumed its export of Golan Heights-grown apples to Syria on Tuesday, after it last year halted the annual project due to a shortage in produce.

The decision to begin the export again was made following a request by the Red Cross and at the directive of the political echelon.

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This is a humanitarian action that helps Druze farmers economically," said Yael Segev-Eitan of the Red Cross. "This year, both sides were eager to get the project going. We hope that this will create an atmosphere that will facilitate the promotion of other humanitarian ventures."

The first shipment from Israel five years ago was worked out by the International Committee of the Red Cross. The idea is to allow Israeli Druze farmers in the Israeli-controlled to market their main crop to Syria.

More than 20 truckloads are scheduled to cross from Israel into Syria each day in the coming weeks with about 8,000 tons of fruit ? approximately 20 percent of the entire annual apple crop farmed by Golan Heights Druze - within the next few weeks.

It will be carried out under the supervision of a UN force that polices the cease-fire line between Syria and Israel.

The Israeli trucks will enter Syria through the Kuneitra crossing, which is usually limited to UN personnel.

The Syrians regard the project as a humanitarian gesture that also demonstrates Syrian support for the 18,000 Druze residents living in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

"This is humanitarian aid extended by the Syrians to the people of the Golan Heights," said one o the Druze apple exporters. "[The Syrians] are helping us market apples so that the price does not drop too low. Syria produces hundreds of thousands of tons of apples; they can get by without our fruit

An Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said Tuesday that the army hopes the transfer will take place as quickly and efficiently as possible, and has made preparations to ensure that this indeed occurs.

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