No love lost as Israel sends a Valentine

Published on Thursday 12 February 2009 21:12

ISRAEL yesterday briefly lifted an export blockade, allowing 25,000 carnations from the battered Gaza Strip to reach Europe in time for Valentine's Day.

This was no gesture of love, however. The move comes too late to salvage the overwhelming majority of the crop, which has rotted or become animal feed because of the Israeli border closure.

"This is propaganda. It is nothing. The season is almost finished now," said Abdel-Karim Ashour, director of the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees in Gaza. "The carnations of Gaza are being used as feed for livestock."

Mr Ashour said the quality of much of this year's crop was lower than usual because farmers could not access them during the three-week Gaza war, during which more than 1,300 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed.

Major Peter Lerner, an Israeli security spokesman, said there are no plans to allow further exports beyond those for Valentine's Day. The clearance of the carnations – the first exports allowed out of Gaza for more than a year – was a "goodwill gesture" to the Dutch government, which provides assistance to farmers in the Gaza Strip.

Mr Lerner added that because of security concerns it was a "very complicated mission" to get the flowers through the Kerem Shalom crossing into Israel, from where they are to be sent to the Netherlands. Israel has banned exports from the Strip and all imports except humanitarian relief.

Hamas cited Israel's closure of Gaza crossings as the reason for its refusal to extend a six month ceasefire. The refusal, and the accompanying launch of rockets into Israel, triggered the recent devastating Gaza operation.

The Netherlands has tried to keep alive the Gaza agricultural sector – which despite the export ban and last year provided 3 million in assistance to Gazan farmers.

Agrexco, an Israeli company facilitates the export. "There is no conflict of interest. We are partners," said Yishai Sharon, Agrexco's manager in the Netherlands. "The Gaza carnations have a good reputation and I hope they will have succeeded in producing good quality despite all the problems they have had there."

The flowers are auctioned in the Netherlands and in the past have been sent to Britain and Russia. However, there is uncertainty as to whether the flowers will actually arrive in time for Valentine's Day.

Mr Sharon said: "It's borderline, but even if they don't make it in time they can still be sold to Russia and eastern Europe for Women's Day, on 8 March."

In Gaza, a few shops are displaying red flowers and heart-shaped gifts in a possible sign that the "Holiday of Love" has survived war and blockade.