Gaza worker packaging cherry tomatoes, 2006 |
"Israeli" dealers said that prices of tomatoes in "Israel" rose this morning in the wholesale markets, bringing the price per kilo to between 8 to 9 shekels.(Yes, they always put scare quotes around "Israel.")
Just last week, the price was only 5 and a half shekels, and according to "Israelis" traders the price of tomatoes will rise through the end of this week, bringing the price per kilo between 12 to 13 shekels.
In the markets of Gaza and the West Bank there was also a rise in the price of tomatoes to up to 3 shekels per kilo.
The question is whether "Israel" will import tomatoes from the Gaza Strip to cover the deficit in "Israeli" markets?
As far as I can tell, no Gaza agricultural goods have been sold to Israel since the initial closure except for a shipment of lulavim last year.
Perhaps tomatoes would be a better bargaining chip for Israel instead of releasing terrorists.
Oh, sorry, I forgot - win/win solutions involving Israel aren't acceptable to Arab culture. And we must respect that culture.