Israel allows Gazans to export flowers and strawberries
November 21, 2007 8:32 am Gaza under Hamas, Haunting Images, Israeli-Palestinian conflict
A Palestinian farmer feeds carnations to sheep at his farm in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip (AP).
Israel okays renewal of flower, strawberry exports from Gaza,
The government has decided to permit the renewal of flower and strawberry exports from the Gaza Strip to Europe from agricultural export terminals inside Israel.
Agriculture Minister Shalom Simhon and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, both of Labor, approved the move after Palestinian farmers and Israeli exporters appealed to the High Court of Justice against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Simchon and Barak.
The exports came to a halt after the security cabinet declared the Gaza Strip a ‘hostile entity’ in response to ongoing militant Qassam fire on the western Negev.
Simchon is to send the details of the decision to Palestinian Authority Agriculture Minister Mahmoud Habash.
The export of flowers and strawberries from the Gaza Strip to the European Union is carried out with the cooperation of Israeli exporters and European buyers, and amounts to roughly NIS 100 million each year. Of that sum, NIS 45 million comes from the sale of carnations.