Why won't Israel allow Gazans to import coriander?
In its response to a freedom-of-information suit last week, the state admitted that there is specific list of goods permissible for import to Strip.
By Amira HassThe Defense Ministry is refusing - on security grounds, it says - to reveal why Israel prohibits the import into the Gaza Strip of items such as cilantro, sage, jam, chocolate, french fries, dried fruit, fabrics, notebooks empty flowerpots and toys, while allowing cinnamon, plastic buckets and combs.
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Palestinian smuggler climbing down into an underground tunnel that leads from Gaza to Egypt. |
| Photo by: Reuters |
But in its response to a freedom-of-information suit last week, the state did admit, for the first time, that there is specific list of permissible goods.
The suit, filed in the Tel Aviv administrative court by Gisha: Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, sought to clarify the criteria and procedures the authorities use to determine what goods to allow into Gaza. It was filed after Gazans began claiming that commercial interests inside Israel, and their lobbying power, were determining the permitted items.
In its response, the state "apologized to the court and the plaintiff for inaccuracies presented during oral arguments [in January], due to certain misunderstandings." The inaccuracy in question was its denial of the existence of written directives.
The response included two documents that the state termed drafts that are already being used in practice - one titled "Procedure for Permitting the Entry of Goods into Gaza" and one titled "Procedure for Tracking and Estimating Inventories in Gaza." The latter is supposed to warn of existing or likely shortages.
The state also submitted a third document, a "List of Critical Humanitarian Goods for the Population," whose existence it had previously denied. This list is periodically updated, it said.
A fourth document, called "Foodstuffs Consumption in Gaza - Red Lines," is a draft for internal use only, the state said, "and has never served as a basis for decision-making." Haaretz reporters Uri Blau and Yotam Feldman revealed the existence of this document in a June 2009 investigative report. It apparently determines the minimum nutritional needs of Gaza's population, according to caloric intake and grams of food, parsed by age and gender.
The state seeks to deny Gisha's suit on the grounds that revealing the first three documents would "harm national security and possibly even diplomatic relations." And since the fourth is not a basis for policy, there is no need to reveal it, the state argued.
Gisha filed its response with the court yesterday, in which it reiterated its demand for any documents that determine the goods transfer policy. "It is difficult to imagine how publishing a list of products, such as medications, foodstuffs and hygiene products, or revealing the procedures that determine this list, could harm state security," wrote attorney Tamar Feldman.
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I am so glad Haaretz is pushing the courts to show transparency on such list (s) and I would encourage others to jump in and help its staff out... This is such outlandish abuse of security on the freedom of information act and indeed on Gazans own political and economical rights. Dutch
Security has become an umbella for all kinds of states' abuse of the law and peoples' rights today and it's about time it was challeged in the public area and courts today... I wonder who died and gave Israeli officials the right to determine which items the people of the Gaza Strip can or cannot import into the Gaza Strip today ? This is an outlandish violation of Palestinian sovereign and collective rights in my book... Many common everyday items carry their own risks such as knives & matches and the host of chem-icals products under our sinks on any given day... Yet what right does a government have to restrict and indeed curtail the distribution of such items? I am sure there are corporate laws on the books for the banning or removing such items from dis-tributions and provisions in international law and humanitarian that guard to against government arbitrary curtailment of them, also. Not to mention how they violate free trade agree- ments and political and social covenants we all hold dear....Dutch
Denying another people their daily needs...It's so damn unGodly and cruel. can assure you all it will be a cold day in hell before people lift a finger again to help rescue Jews again.... What a great inhumanity Israel represents today in the Middle East and I don't know anyone who will waste their time advocating to maintain it in 21st century.. .Israelis are dooming themselves... Dutch
Why is it so hard for Israelis to understand when their officials violate Palestinian rights they are in a larger and broad sense invalidate their own peoples' rights too? Things reflect back and as Churchill pointed out --people treat you as you treat them and it can lead to one's demise or indeed one's success. The choice is always individual or in this case collective as officials are reflecting their tribe. Dutch
REad the most ridiculous article today. Peres anounces ready for peace talks. That's like the mayor of Reno, Nevada negotiating our forgeign policy. Get serious and get the buffoon off the stage. Seen too much of absurdity in the Catskills.
On Jordanian or Egyptian border? I mean Israel must be occupying both of those countries to permit "a siege"... or may be with American breadth of knowledge you consider Gaza "surrounded by Israel?" Would not be surprising for a nation where 60% of grown up population considers Finland a city in Denmark. There is no shame to be Anti - Semite because your mom fed you this hatred with her milk. There are people who simply did have a chance to be any better. But using for it education... to spread lies and blackmail about little nation half world around the globe. There is no word to describe this despicable hatred which has only one point, extermination of my nation for reason you hate us. I am so sorry you are such a lost man.
"security grounds"? how making a whole nation starve, serve the Israeli security? how robbing their lands,foods,medicine, basic commodities serve your security? who will compensate them for that? Or is it, make them starve to food, so they won't have time to think?
Can Egypt starve Israel to death if it poses a threat to its national security?
I guess Gazans will have to live with this oppression till they sign peace treaties, and then it's not going to be readily available, either. I am not sure why you think it should. It certainly is not over the counter kind of souce in US, too...
When he was captured, Gilad Shalit was enforcing the siege. It did not start after he was captured. And the Siege has not been lessened by no rocket fire. Both are bogus reasons for the siege. Israeli politicians are sadists, pure and simple.
Hamas rocketed Israeli civilians until the Israeli military destroyed their weapons and their tunnels. Are Israeli politicians sadists because they don't like feeding the mouth that bites? My advice to Hamas and the citizens of Gaza is real simple, dismantle your weapons, make peace with Israel, and the goods will flow again. Don't expect the Israelis to love you for trying to kill their women and children. Ain't going to happen.
On Monday, I will send a bunch of coriander to Gaza. Do you happen to know the Zip Code down there?
Surely most of the entire world (short of Hamas and the Taliban) would like to see Shalit freed. But oppressing an entire people until this happens is horrible, and i'm suprised the international community arent doing more to end this shameful situation. Have to say in my view a lot of Israelis use Shalit as a convenient excuse to justify grossly unfair treatment of the Palestinians. Paints the country in such a bad light.
Shalit isn't the reason for the blockade... There are SEVERAL reasons. 1) Arms smuggling 2) Rocket attacks 3) Terror attacks 4) Hamas
Shalit is only one facet. Hamas is by their charter and their rocketry at war with Israel. How many countries do anything at all for their sworn, active enemies? This to my knowledge is the very first one in history.
Contrary to your other replies, it is not about Shalit, it is about control and sadism. The siege started well before Shalit. He was just enforcing it. It is entirely about controlling who lives where and what they do and who they sleep with and what they eat, all because they are not Jewish and because they are Palestinian Arabs. It has nothing to do with rocket attacks either. There was no let up in the siege when the rockets aren't flying. DD and Jasper are just trying to confuse.
please...please...please... people of the world come to my aid. I live in Montreal and I cannot buy any consumer product in the store unless it has a French label. If it is written only in English it is banned from sale. Where is the human rights organization to save me ?
for someone astute enough to be published, why did amira miss the obvious? the picture shows a masked smuggler obviously transporting corriander
I do not feed those who seek my death, its not dificult to understand.
When Israel occupied the Palestinian territories, it became LEGALLY and MORALLY responsible for the welfare of the people within those territories. Withdrawing settlers from Gaza does not negate that legal and moral responsibility. As long as the IDF is able to enter Gaza at will, the airspace is controlled by Israel, and nothing enters the territory except by Israel's consent, it is still occupied, and Israel is responsible for the lives and welfare of the populace -- who are now "protect persons" under international law.
Perhaps its because some spices are so strong smelling, that they have been used in attempts to cover the scent of explosives or narcotics from search dogs. Perhaps, Amira,there are other peope that know alot more than you do and it is those people that get to make these decisions, not you.
we love hummus.also tahina.the irish in unrwa do not understand our taste.they want to give us potatoes morning afternoon and evening.they call them spuds. we hate irish food.
i worked with palestinians for many years on my farm near gaza.ii can attest they do not like french fries. they love jam though.
Dear Amira, I am living here just temporarily, but I understand some things..It seems to me that you are not living here..coriander or not..
Dear John, I am living here temporarily as well, but I understand some things...It seems to me that Amira pretty much tells it as it is. I think that you may be the one who is delusional.
cant stand the stuff amira.ask them to send us mangoes.
Only right wing loonies favor this obnoxious siege. Nice to see their free flowing comments though. Much needed mutual support seeing no one else pays attention to their views.
..expecially since Israel would have a hard time explaining a list that decries any logic but one.
Why don't you ask those kind of questions instead of digging deep inside your world of "poor palestinians" to write about this nonsense...
What's your point? You are in denial. Like many Israelis, you wear blinkers. It's sad but it's true. The day we will wake up, our children will feel a lot of shame for what we've done. Of course, people like you will try to justify themselves.
Instead , you should,ve made this question and every one would be fine especially those zionists who justify every attrocity committed by Israel against the Palestinian civilians.
Instead , you should,ve made this question and every one would be fine especially those zionists who justify every attrocity committed by Israel against the Palestinian civilians.
1) Option 1: mix 3 parts coriander, 1 part cilantro, 2 part economica and 3 parts fertilizer, mix carefully, wait 2 hours and you have high grade C5 Hamas TNT explosives, or 2) Option 2: Release Gilad Schalit, stop attacking Israel, stop buying weapons instead of food, the borders will open and you can by as much coriander as your heart desires. The choice is not clear for Amira Hass.
Since IED's can be made of all kinds of household products I'm sure some of those are on the list. Maybe some you never heard of, so why would Israel give instructions as to how to make explosives. With regard to other benign products who really cares. As I see it Israel is supplying an enemy bent on Israel's destruction, yet provides food and medicine to sustain a people whose spoken goal is to destroy them. Who else does that?
Such a typical american way of thinking, just feed on your junk news that's waaay to Israel oriented!
I am American and I know the US is FILLED with people who cannot think their way out of a brown paper bag. Obviously, Mark is a Fleabagger... I mean Teabagger (sorry). All their wisdom and insights come from Flush Phlegmbaugh and the Bushites - so as far as clear thinking is concerned, you can't expect much.
RE: "Such a typical american way of thinking..." - Mavada referring to 'Mark from Georgia' MY COMMENT: Mavada, what do you expect? He's from Georgia! I'm assuming that'd be "Jawga" USA (as opposed to the nation of Georgia). The fact that he uses "Mark from Georgia" (thereby assuming everyone will understand he is referring to the 'peach state' rather than the country) is stark testament to just how hopelessly provincial he is! - John from Georgia, USA P.S. God, I hate this state (even though my ancestors have been here since the late 1700s)!
I'm not American and I agree with Mark. Mavada, what did you actually say in your comment to refute Mark's comment? 2 lines of dismissal and you expect people to take you seriously? Make a logical, reasoned argument and we might see your point. I think I understand why the Americans back Israel and have the same way of thinking, they both are people of common sense and reason who can't stand specious non-argument masqerading as informed comment.
Yes Mayada all of us in the U.S. have such a hard time getting news from a free press. The Middle East with its state controlled media is a much better choice. Ari save the apologies, BTW I don't listen to Rush nor am I a teabagger.. Ok John "the mind reader". Funny how nobody addresses what I said though. Israel helps its enemies, right? Who else does that?
I agree with prohibiting the importation of goods that may be used for weaponry or construction of infrastructure that would aid hamas in a war. However, give the people a break!!!
Ther are days i shake my head and others I say go ISrael go. This is one of those shakle my head days. What idiot would deny the importation of food stuff to gaza , spices flower pots (of course they could be packed with explosives and sent back to us right!!!)
It should be hard to argue that the import of basic foodstuff to Gaza is a security threat. The blockade is a collective punishment---warfare against an entire population, nothing else!
I just don't get it. How is jam a security issue for Israel? Can anybody explain? Please?
My government errors if it thinks that withholding coriander from the civilians in Gaza is going to aid in their disenchantment with Hamas or with their increased will to consider the ways and means to peace. Who are the faceless bureaucrats who composed the list? Is there any kind of oversight of their decisions by Minister Barak? Has anyone really considered whether the strategic goals of Israel, the IDF or the Jewish people are met by not including any other goods that cannot be used to make weapons? Is collective punishment sensible, useful, ethical, or intelligent?
Wrong question. Why doesn't Gaza send Gilad Shalit home safe and sound?
I'm suffering from it because I like Israel. I'm disgusted almost as much as I am disgusted by the muslim terrorists.
Agreed. I am an American Christian. Our religion says we MUST bless Israel. But often I wonder... The cruelty of many things that Israel does to the Palestinians simply defies understanding.
of jam and chocolate are an existential threat to Israel.
Did you not know that by fermenting coriander and then adding camel dung there is created an Oklahoma type home bomb.LOL What a pedestrian article! They smuggle arms in tunnels so they should add a few spices for the common good of their people. Or maybe there is a cartel/monopoly on spices which is making certain individuals wealthy as is common in political situations like Gaza.
It is difficult for me to believe any reasonable observer can take the Israeli policy on importation of foodstuffs into Gaza as anything but harassment.
It is more than harressment. It is collective punishment - punishing an entire population of the acts of a few - and it is illegal under the Geneva Conventions and a crime against humanity. I wish I wish I wish I wish Israel would respect international law.
Let them eat their weapons.
We can see the Israelis are far more humane. Presumably, 2000 calories a day or something like that. There's no comparison at all.
I would like to see the US giving basic foods to the Taliban. etc. The Pals in case the author did not know - want to destroy Israel - dont you look around you? or look at Pal TV?. What planet do you live in?. The Pals should get nothing - nothing - from Israel. Israel is being the BEST ENEMY TO DEAL WITH. You are lucky it is Israel and Not Spain, Chile, Russia or China. The writer is surely a few cents short of a full dollar.
Maybe study the situation before posting a stupid comment, and no I'm not going to explain it for you.
Israel has BLOCKADED GAZA. It's not like Israel would be GIVING the palestinians food, rather just LETTING IN SUPPLIES FROM THE UN.
you see no difference between Israel giving Gaza and Israel not allowing gaza to buy what it wants from someone else other than Israel. big big difference and you probably know it. Gaza is not asking for hand outs from Israel, it is asking Israel to leave it alone. Israel is controlling what Gaza buys and what it imports. Israel occupies gaza illegaly and controls it's supplies that it receives or purchases from other parties imorally ... no matter what you write, you know what is right and what you write is wrong
The mindset of your post is revealing...although you see the difference between Joe Average Afghan and the Taliban...you portray all Palestinians as terrorists, hellbent on the destruction of Israel...great spin...terrific sound bite...just not accurate and just not the truth. It is this mindset that lead to so many civilian casualties during Cast Lead.
If civilian deaths were the goal, Israel could have wiped out 100% of Gaza in a day. In Cast Lead, 70% of the dead were gun-toting militants, a stunning example of restraint and selectivity, considering the urban setting.
Somebody explain how it is unreasonable to conclude that Israeli politicians are not sadists. At least now we know why pasta and toilet paper were not allowed into Gaza in the past.
you give me so much hope.
I don't understand how the limits for the import of consumer goods into Gaza serves security.
The idea is to punish the people for voting for Hamas in the last election.
Before we analyse whether coriander should be imported into Gaza, we should analyse why Gilad Shalit is still held kidnapped and disallowed any visitors.
I agree. She should be asking about him.
restrictions on Gaza / West bank have been going for a whole lot longer before Shalit was kidnapped.. The restrictions are not a response to his kidnapping
... place in the world that will accept them, and buy anything they feel like, and bring it back if Hamas import laws allow. Earth has 195 countries, and surely there must be some that will allow Palestinians in. Aren't there? Besides, there is plenty of coriander in Egypt, and they can send it on in through the tunnels. Can't they?
Gilad Shalit is one person. There are over 1.5 million Gazans. Whatever fate has befallen this one soldier in the line of duty no way justifies the cruel and inhumane fate imposed on 1.5 million civilians.
..to travel to other countries, since they all possess dual nationalities, their original one plus the israeli.
Fact: Israel has made Gaza a prison. The Gazans CANNOT GET OUT. ---------------->> Know before you speak.