The Civil Administration assessed that approximately 30,000 tons of vegetables were smuggled without supervision.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

A heated debate took place at the Knesset on Sunday over what lawmakers described as insufficient action against Israeli distributors who marketed produce from the Palestinian Authority that was known to be contaminated.

The discussion followed findings from the Health Ministry that in February nearly half of all cucumbers imported from the Palestinian Authority were contaminated, along with additional fruits and vegetables.

Lawmakers cited the data as part of broader concerns over food safety and enforcement.

A report published by the State Comptroller a year and a half ago found that between 2015 and 2022, the share of samples containing abnormal pesticide residues ranged from 27% to 40%, with a steady increase over that period.

Acting committee chairman MK Amit Halevi (Likud) said during the hearing, “This is a mass poisoning of Israeli citizens, it is hard to believe that such a case exists in this country”.

Halevi said the committee reviewed data indicating high rates of contamination in produce.

“We were exposed to increasingly horrifying data, tens of percent of poisoning within fruits and vegetables, the worst kind. It is unbelievable how many men and women developed cancer or how many miscarriages occurred – as a result. This despite an explicit law prohibiting this, and only for considerations of economic harm to Palestinians. They preferred the Palestinians’ economic welfare at the expense of the health of Israeli citizens.”

The hearing also addressed discrepancies in estimates of the volume of goods entering through crossings.

The Civil Administration assessed that approximately 30,000 tons of vegetables were smuggled without supervision.

Health Ministry representatives told the committee that three distributors were found to have sold contaminated produce despite instructions to move the goods to holding warehouses.

Lieutenant Colonel Nir Ezuz, head of civil planning at COGAT, said authorities will implement stricter controls.

He said that from now on 100% of goods will be inspected, field testing will be conducted, and a revised list of authorized distributors will be introduced.

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Dr. Ziva Hamma told the panel that around 50 percent of cucumbers, 49 percent of tomatoes, and 66 percent of hot peppers from the Palestinian Authority contain hazardous pesticides.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Almost half of the vegetables imported from the Palestinian Authority pose serious health risks to Israeli consumers, according to findings presented at a Knesset Health Committee discussion on Monday.

Of the approximately 15,000 tons of Palestinian agricultural produce entering Israel annually, a significant portion contains pesticide residues linked to cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and developmental harm to children and fetuses, lawmakers were told.

Committee chairwoman Limor Son Har Melech (Otzma Yehudit) described the situation as “real health lawlessness” and criticized Israel’s Civil Administration for prioritizing economic concerns over public safety.

“The Civil Administration prefers to prevent damage to the shelf life of goods and the Palestinian economy over protecting the health of the public in Israel,” Son Har Melech said.

“In my opinion, we are not allowed to import agricultural produce from the Palestinian Authority at all. I do not trust my enemy to grow my food for me, which can easily be poisoned. I call on everyone who can afford it: make sure to purchase Israeli agriculture. We have excellent farmers, wonderful produce, fresher, healthier, and most importantly—much more Zionist.”

Attorney Avishag Schwartz, of Lavi, a non-profit watchdog organization, said that produce from the Palestinian Authority is contaminated at extremely high rates.

“About a year and a half ago, the State Comptroller published a report showing that in the years 2015-2022, the rate of samples detecting abnormal pesticide residues was 27 to 40 percent, and there has been a constant increase,” she said.

Schwartz added that although samples taken at border crossings are tested in laboratories within days, the produce is distributed immediately. “In practice, thousands of tons of goods in which abnormalities are detected have already been distributed,” she said.

Dr. Ziva Hamma, director of the Risk Management Department at the Ministry of Health, told the panel that around 50 percent of cucumbers, 49 percent of tomatoes, and 66 percent of hot peppers from the Palestinian Authority contain hazardous pesticides.

“More than five different pesticides were found in 13 percent of the produce, and 14 percent of samples contained neurotoxic organophosphorus, which poses a danger to the developing fetus and can cause developmental defects in infants and children. Exposure also increases the chance of developing Parkinson’s disease,” she said.

Hamma noted that steps would soon be taken to address the problem, including electronic monitoring of licensed farmers, increased sampling at checkpoints, and financial penalties for violators.

Amos Zoares, the ministry’s Judea and Samaria health coordinator, acknowledged that past delays in enforcing restrictions were due to economic and security concerns. “After October 7, they realized that public health is more important,” he said.

The findings raised lawmakers’ ire. MK Amit Halevi (Likud) told the committee, “From the data that the Ministry of Health itself provides, it appears that the food of Israeli citizens is poisoned. Israeli citizens have been suffering from cancer for years because of this produce—the Ministry of Health is silent.”

He called on those affected to seek legal recourse against officials responsible for allowing the contaminated produce to enter the market.

Son Har Melech concluded the session with a warning to Israeli consumers.

“You are being poisoned. Despite 45 percent of samples containing substances that cause cancer and Parkinson’s and pose risks to pregnant women, children, and the elderly, there are those who prioritize the livelihood of our enemies over the health of our citizens. I entered the discussion pessimistic—and left much more pessimistic.”

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The months from January to April saw the highest import volumes due to intense fighting and damage to frontline agricultural areas.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Due to the war, Israeli imports of fresh vegetables rose 13 percent in 2024, the Agriculture Ministry reported on Sunday.

Approximately 227,000 tons of fresh agricultural produce were imported, reflecting a 13% rise compared to 2023. This increase was necessary to compensate for damage to local production, labor shortages, and operational difficulties in frontline agricultural areas.

Since October 7, the war “posed an unprecedented challenge” to the “continuity of the supply chain,” Agriculture Ministry Director General Oren Lavie said.

“Alongside the concern for full shelves in the marketing chains, we continue to invest in strengthening local production, out of a commitment to ensuring agricultural stability and food security in the years to come.”

Despite disruptions, the government remains committed to increasing local agricultural production by 30% over the next decade.

The five leading imported products — apples, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and pineapples — accounted for 75% of total imports. However, there was a decline in tomato and cucumber imports.

The imported produce came from 30 countries, including Italy, the United States, Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Spain, China, and Poland.

The months from January to April saw the highest import volumes due to intense fighting and damage to frontline agricultural areas.

January recorded the highest import volume at 33,000 tons, followed by March, February, and April.

Apple imports rose by 58% to 60,000 tons in 2024. The increase was attributed to difficulties in tending and harvesting orchards in northern communities near the Lebanese border.

Apples were imported from 16 countries, with most coming from Italy, followed by the United States, Argentina, Greece, Moldova, and Spain.

Onion imports doubled to 57,000 tons due to reduced local yields caused by propagation issues and disease. Most of the imported onions came from the Netherlands, which quadrupled its exports to Israel. Other sources included Turkey, China, Spain, and Greece.

Tomato imports decreased by 35% to 30,000 tons. Early in the year, imports increased significantly as the war affected tomato production in the Negev.

Jordan and Turkey were the primary suppliers, but exports from these countries ceased in mid-2024, leading to diversification of import sources.

By December, only 100 tons of tomatoes were imported, as local production recovered.

Garlic imports rose 30% to 13,000 tons due to 2022 tariff reductions impacting local production. Most came from China, with some from Jordan and Spain.

Pineapple imports increased 64% to 10,000 tons, mainly from Costa Rica, with smaller amounts from Kenya and the Dominican Republic. Cucumber imports fell over 50% to 7,708 tons due to supply losses from Jordan, Turkey, and Gaza.

In January, Israel and Thailand finalized an agreement to bring 13,000 Thai workers to work in farms, orchards, greenhouses and packing plants. There are currently more than 42,000 foreign workers working in Israeli agriculture, around 10,000 more than pre-war levels.

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Critics have argued such policies would be anti-Israel and discriminatory.

By Troy O. Fritzhand, The Algemeiner

The Biden administration is planning to require goods produced in Jewish communities in Judea and SAmaria to be clearly labeled as coming from there as the US continues to increase pressure on Israel amid its ongoing war against the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza, according to a new report.

A final decision on whether to approve the move has not been made, but its purpose would be to increase pressure on Israel over alleged violence by some Jewish residents against Palestinians in Judea and Samaria, the Financial Times reported, citing anonymous US officials.

Critics have argued such policies would be anti-Israel and discriminatory. Proponents who oppose Israeli settlement construction in Judea and Samaria say labeling the goods would make it easier for US consumers to avoid the products by marking them as coming from “occupied” territory.

The US State Department told The Algemeiner that, as a general matter, it does not comment on “internal government deliberations,” adding only, “We have no changes to announce.”

The move would reverse a policy implemented by the former Trump administration that required goods produced in Judea and Samaria to be labeled as “Made in Israel.”

The potential decision came amid increasing US pressure on Israel over the war in Gaza.

In a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, US President Joe Biden issued his toughest public rebuke of Israel since its war against Hamas began in the fall, warning that US policy moving forward will be determined by whether Israel takes certain actions to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

According to a White House readout, Biden demanded that Israel agree to “an immediate ceasefire” with Hamas and “made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers.”

Without such steps, Biden threatened to fundamentally change the US-Israel relationship: “He made clear that US policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.”

The US reportedly considered marking products from Israeli-administered parts of Judea and SAmaria with special labels in February, when Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced plans for the construction of more than 3,000 settlement homes in response to a deadly terrorist shooting in the territory. According to the Financial Times, the Biden administration was close to announcing the step.

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Israeli citizens from across the country have been making a concerted effort to purchase produce from the areas impacted by the war in Gaza.

By Troy O. Fritzhand, The Algemeiner

The Negev Produce Cooperative Association in Israel has announced a new marker will be used to label produce that was farmed in areas near the Gaza border in an effort to support Israeli farmers affected by the ongoing war with the Hamas terror group.

The new tag will read in Hebrew “Grown in the [Gaza] Envelope and Western Negev” and start hitting the shelves of Israel’s supermarkets in the coming weeks.

“The move will help support the farmers of the south who have been personally and financially harmed,” said Yoram Avid, who heads the association. “The new labeling that will soon be seen on the shelves of our marketing chains, supermarkets, mini markets, and greengrocers will help consumers choose products grown in the Gaza Envelope and the Western Negev.”

“Furthermore,” he added, “the move puts a spotlight on a critical issue for the State of Israel: the long-term economy and its ability to maintain food security, since without strong Israeli agriculture, Israel will depend more and more on the import of vegetables and fruits and in times of crisis even suffer from significant shortages that will harm all citizens.”

The move comes as Israeli citizens from across the country have been making a concerted effort to purchase produce from the areas impacting by the war in Gaza. Following Hamas’ brutal terror attack on Oct. 7, which launched the conflict, dozens of farms became unreachable and inoperable, leaving tons of fruits and vegetables to go to waste.

This lack of ability to harvest caused alarm in Israel, as a majority of the country’s produce comes from the region near Gaza — such as more than half the wheat, half the dates, nearly 200 million liters of milk, and large percentages of the Jewish state’s other fruits and vegetables.

In response, groups such as Leket Israel and other nonprofits started organizing trips to the abandoned farms, where volunteers started harvesting crops and allowing the farmers to stay afloat. This was accompanied by solidarity trips by Jews from the United States, Europe, and elsewhere who came and helped to harvest as well.

More than five months into the war, pop-up farmer’s markets are a weekly occurrence in towns across the country, where farmers can bring their crops to Israelis eager to support them.

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