In the News

Jordan opposition protest Israeli fruit imports

October 15, 2008
AMMAN, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Jordanian Islamist and leftist activists on Saturday staged a sit-in at the country's wholesale food market to protest against exotic Israeli fruits and vegetables being sold.

The protesters, holding anti-Israeli banners, urged merchants to suspend imports from Israel of a variety of exotic fruits from mangoes, pineapple, avocado, to kiwi along with carrots and tomatoes sold in groceries and supermarkets.

AMMAN, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Jordanian Islamist and leftist activists on Saturday staged a sit-in at the country's wholesale food market to protest against exotic Israeli fruits and vegetables being sold.

The protesters, holding anti-Israeli banners, urged merchants to suspend imports from Israel of a variety of exotic fruits from mangoes, pineapple, avocado, to kiwi along with carrots and tomatoes sold in groceries and supermarkets.

The organisers of the protest, the powerful Professional Associations who represent over 170,000 doctors, nurses and engineers and others, have been long-time bastions of dissent and opposition to the kingdom's pro-Western policies.

They lead popular opposition towards normalisation with Israel after the treaty in 1994 that ended a 46-year state of war.

"We are protesting because these fruits are planted in our Arab land that was taken by Zionist settlers by forces," said Badi Al-Rafiah, head of a committee against normalisation in the 14-member Professional Associations Union.

The association has threatened to expel any member who contacts Israelis or visits Israel but the authorities say their threat has no legal basis as the treaty has become law after parliament endorsed it.

Crowds of protestors, including Islamist deputies in parliament, in a symbolic protest burned Israeli flags and empty cartons of Israeli mango, avocado and carrots and other produce. Imports are trucked daily by land from a northern border crossing with Israel directly to the wholesale market.

"Buying Israeli products helps support Israeli farmers who were paying taxes to the military effort to crush and oppress Palestinians," said Abdullah Yusef, a protester.

The feeling of enmity towards Israel is widespread among Jordanians, many of whom are of Palestinian origin, who fled or were evicted after the creation of Israel in 1948.

Jordanian businessmen remain reluctant to do business with their Israeli counterparts, either due to ideology or fear of being exposed to the public as "friends of the enemy."

Anti-normalisation activists often run campaigns against companies that deal with Israel and urge the public to boycott their products.

Jordanian trade figures show bilateral trade is in fact on the rise, with the volume of exchange jumping from $1.6 million in 2003 to $14 million in 2007, representing a nine-fold increase.

October 15, 2008
/

SHARE

Stay updated!

Sign-up for news, campaign updates, action alerts and fundraisers from the BDS movement.

Subscribe Now