Tag Archives: agriculture

Numbers, meet context

A new report by COGAT looks at statistics one year after the Israeli government decided to “expand the civilian policy toward the Strip” and “ease” the closure. How do the numbers look in the wider context? Continue reading

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We don't need Wikileaks to know what the closure is

It doesn’t take a Wikileaked cable to tell us that Israel’s policy towards Gaza has been one of economic warfare for the past several years, but yesterday’s article in Haaretz spelled it out again for anyone who hasn’t been paying attention. The article quotes a cable written by officials at the US… Continue reading

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Strawberry Fields Forever

This week the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced the “beginning of the export season” in the Gaza Strip. “The export season” entails the continuation of a short-term program, sponsored – from planting through to distribution – by the Dutch government. The program allows a few farmers in Gaza to sell strawberries and flowers in European markets. So far this week, 7 trucks have left the Strip. As has been the case in every year since June 2007… Continue reading

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Gaza Behind the Lens

With the arrival of spring, we decided to present a selection of photographs taken during the past winter in Gaza. The winter brought with it terrible storms. Restrictions on the entry of supplies made it difficult for Gaza’s infrastructure to cope. Sewage was overflowing, houses were flooded and families were forced to live without heating- all of this became a normal part of life in Gaza during the last couple of… Continue reading

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Gaza’s Strawberries Taste Europe

Since the end of December 2009, 36 trucks loaded with strawberries and cut carnation flowers were permitted to leave Gaza for Israel’s Ashdod port, from which they were shipped to Europe. This is the first time since January 2008 that strawberries have managed to leave the 41 kilometer-long Strip. The flowers have been a little luckier – prior to December 2009, Israel permitted the export of 19 truckloads of flowers during the past 2.5 years of closure, mostly around Valentine’s Day. Continue reading

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