A heated debate was held today (Sunday) in the Knesset's Health Committee, where it was revealed that Israeli distributors violated Health Ministry directives and marketed poisoned vegetables from the Palestinian Authority to shops.
According to the data presented, the Health Ministry has not yet acted against those distributors, refused to disclose their identities, and even refrained from summoning them for a hearing.
Acting committee chairman, MK Amit Halevi (Likud), said in the hearing, "This is a mass poisoning of Israeli citizens, it is hard to believe that such a case exists in this country".
Halevi added that the committee was exposed to troubling data indicating tens of percent of poisoning within fruits and vegetables. He said, "We were exposed to increasingly horrifying data, tens of percent of poisoning within fruits and vegetables, the worst kind. It is unbelievable how many men and women developed cancer or how many miscarriages occurred - as a result. This despite an explicit law prohibiting this, and only for considerations of economic harm to Palestinians. They preferred the Palestinians' economic welfare at the expense of the health of Israeli citizens".
The hearing revealed conflicting data on the volume of goods reaching the crossings, with the Civil Administration estimating about 30,000 tons of vegetables smuggled without supervision.
About two months ago the committee disclosed data showing that almost every cucumber and one in two tomatoes arriving from the Authority are contaminated with hazardous pesticides that may cause serious diseases such as cancer and Parkinson's.
Dr. Ziva Hamama, a Health Ministry representative, detailed that 50% of cucumbers, 49% of tomatoes and 66% of hot peppers tested were found contaminated. In 14% of the samples a neurotoxic organophosphate was found, a substance that impairs fetal and infant development.
MK Limor Son Har-Melech (Otzma Yehudit) warned that returning contaminated goods to the growers will lead to their re-smuggling into Israel and noted that new data indicate contamination also in dairy products and tahini.
Health Ministry representatives reported that three distributors were caught with contaminated goods they marketed despite an order to transfer them to holding warehouses. It also emerged that the holding warehouses are owned by the distributors themselves, allowing them to remove the contaminated goods and market them at any time.
Lieutenant Colonel Nir Ezuz, head of civil planning at COGAT, asserted that the health of Israeli citizens is a top priority and said it was decided to tighten inspection mechanisms.
According to him, from now on 100% of goods will be inspected, field tests will be conducted, and a new list of authorized distributors will be implemented. Dorit Haus, head of the import division at the Health Ministry, added that for about a month there has been no transfer of fruits and vegetables from PA areas and that henceforth contaminated goods will be destroyed or returned.