Israel has granted permission for the export of strawberries and carnations from Gaza. The move is partly because the Dutch government is supporting the Palestinian farmers and growers. The produce will only be allowed onto the European market.

Two lorry-loads of strawberries have left the Gaza Strip, destined for Europe. Another 300 tons of carnations will be transported to the flower market in the Dutch town of Aalsmeer soon. Dutch money has also made it possible to plant 2.6 million dollars worth of cherry tomatoes and red peppers in Gaza.

Yousef Shaath is the manager of a Dutch initiative in Gaza. He says exporting flowers and fruit will be good for the agricultural sector, as the Israeli blockade has put enormous pressure on it. In 2009, Israel decided to limit exports, which meant some of the flowers produced were fed to livestock.

Yousef Shaath: “This project will provide a lot of jobs in a region badly hit by unemployment. Around 250 families will benefit from it, and the profits go directly to the farmers. The trade also provides foreign currency, which is very important for Gaza’s economy.'

Flowers and fruit
Israel will only allow exports of products supported by its staunch ally the Netherlands. And the Dutch government has limited its support to strawberries and carnations. So far, no permission has been granted for the export of vegetables. Shaath is mystified, because fall under the same, very strict rules as do flowers and fruit. In addition, exports are limited to Europe.

Shaath: “I would have loved to sell these products on the Israeli market or other Palestinian territories, where they would have fetched a better price than on European markets. However, I’m happy to leave the issue to diplomats; we’ll handle logistics”

Rockets
Israel closed the Gaza Strip when Hamas took power in 2007. At the end of 2008, Israel decided to stage a military intervention because Palestinian militants were firing rockets at Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. An estimated 1,300 people were killed in ground fighting and air strikes. About 20,000 buildings in Gaza were either damaged or destroyed.

Israel promised in June to ease its blockade of the Gaza Strip, but United Civilians for Peace (UCP), which comprises aid organisations Oxfam Novib, ICCO, Cordaid and IKV Pax Christi, say this never happened. This week, UPC published a report in collaboration with other aid organisations. It shows that reconstruction has not really started, mainly because Israel has not lifted its ban on many building materials, fearing this would facilitate gun smuggling.

Mini project
UCP’s Suying Lai says the Dutch-backed exports of carnations and strawberries are a step in the right direction, but still believes the Netherlands is not doing enough to make Israel change its mind.
“It is only a fraction of what needs to be done. It is token politics, which is why Israel has agreed. The Netherlands needs to apply much more pressure to lift those blockades instead of focusing exclusively on its mini project.”

Peaceful
And yet, Suying Lai remains hopeful that the Netherlands will increase the pressure. In the past, the Netherlands has consistently argued for easing the blockades. However, the prolonged coalition negotiations after the June parliamentary elections have meant a long period of inactivity. The new cabinet has pledged to dedicate itself to finding a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.