Pages

Monday, September 17, 2007

Hamas exporting produce from Gaza for Shmittah?

According to the Palestine Press Agency (autotranslated):
informed Palestinian sources said that direct dialogue was last week between Hamas lawless and controlled the Gaza Strip and Israel allowed the export of vegetables through the crossing, "Karam Abu Salem," for neutralizing crossings of the Palestinian resistance.

The Emirates News Agency, that the personality of a Palestinian near Gaza article Hamas government contacts with the Office of Coordination and Israeli withdrawal Ayers on the everyday problems of export and import from the Gaza Strip and an agreement has been reached whereby "neutralize crossings and stop firing rockets from Palestinian areas in return for calm.

What reinforces this news that Prime Minister article in Gaza, Ismail Haniya had been asked last Thursday factions of the Palestinian resistance not to target the crossings between the Gaza Strip and Israel with missiles, while the government was committed to bring the article, which

The news earlier had confirmed that Hamas had amended their opposition to allow the export of agricultural produce from Gaza through the crossing Kerm Shalom.

Palestine Press Agency is a semi-reliable, pro-Fatah and anti-Hamas organ. This article is intended more to make Hamas look hypocritical than anything else.

Even so, it is interesting to see reported that Hamas ordered the end to attacks on the crossings into Israel - starting on Rosh Hashanah. Is it possible that Gaza is exporting produce to Israel for Shmittah year? There have been a few articles in the international press about Shmittah and the financial bonanza that Palestinian farmers expect to receive as a result.

The media has been almost completely ignoring consistent Hamas and PIJ attacks at border crossings between Israel and Gaza, which only make the lives of Gaza residents more miserable as humanitarian aid cannot get through. Yesterday there was such an attack, at the Erez crossing, but it was done by Fatah and the DFLP in Gaza.

So it is unclear whether anything is different now.

Of course, whether allowing Gaza produce in the Israeli market is a wise move on Israel's part is a different question.

UPDATE: Evidently, Arab produce is often irrigated with sewage water, and last Shmittah many Jews contracted hepatitis from eating such vegetables. (h/t Soccer Dad)