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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan | ||
| Palestinians bugged | ||
| 2005-12-14 | ||
After years of producing bug-free lettuce and other vegetables for Jewish farmers, the sands of Gaza have reverted to their old ways. PA farmers report failure in keeping the bugs away. The Gaza Arabs who have taken over the hothouses of what used to be Gush Katif reported to the Israel-PA Coordination Office that they have failed in raising bug-free vegetables. In addition, the PA workers complain that their wages from their compatriots and brethren are significantly lower now than what they received from the Israelis.
The Jews who first arrived in Gaza some 30 years ago were repeatedly told by the Arabs who welcomed them that the land was "cursed" and that they would never succeed agriculturally. Benny Ginzberg, standing last May in the large Katif-Atzmona dairy he managed, pointed at the houses of the Arab city of Khan Yunis, several hundred meters away, and said, "Those houses have been here since before the Six Day War. If they wanted this land, what stopped them from spreading out to here before? ... When we first came, they told us that we were crazy for even trying to build something here. 'The land is cursed,' they told us. Well, we built something, something very great..." Ma'yan Yadai, a 27-year-old mother of two who was thrown out of Gush Katif - she was originally a Croatian Catholic who converted to Judaism, fled Yugoslavia, and moved to Netzer Hazani - spoke about Gush Katif before a gathering of the National Council of Young Israel in New York recently. She said, "It is difficult for me to believe that this obviously blessed area is the very same area that our Moslem neighbors called the ‘cursed land’ of El G’erara. They have told me that nobody lived in this area from the time that the last Jews left because there was not enough rain, and nothing could grow properly. They were happy when the Jews returned because the rain started again, and the land began to produce." Farmers in Gush Katif were considered among Israel's most successful; their total annual exports totaled $100 million, or 15% of Israel's agricultural exports. Of Israel's exports abroad, Gush Katif exported to Europe 95% of the bug-free lettuce and greens, 70% of the organic vegetables, 60% of the cherry tomatoes, and 60% of the geraniums. Israel's largest plant nursery was in the Gush Katif community of Atzmonah. Other Katif produce included spices, green, red and yellow peppers, celery and more.
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| Posted by:Thrising Omains2605 |
| #4 Actually, Bomb-a-rama, no they didn't. Many asked to be allowed to move to Israel, as they were afraid their dear bothers were going to shoot them for being collaborators. |
| Posted by: Adriane 2005-12-14 16:04 |
| #3 Lie down with cockroaches...and they're still there. Just, now they're running the place |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-12-14 12:12 |
| #2 The Gaza Arabs who have taken over the hothouses of what used to be Gush Katif reported to the Israel-PA Coordination Office that they have failed in raising bug-free vegetables. Life's tough, eh? It would probably be less tough had y'all had tried to learn something from the Jews instead of constantly trying to kill them. In addition, the PA workers complain that their wages from their compatriots and brethren are significantly lower now than what they received from the Israelis. But you guys got what you wanted, didn't you? Now shut the hell up with the complaints already. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2005-12-14 10:49 |
| #1 They have told me that nobody lived in this area from the time that the last Jews left. I've read hundreds of articles over the years on the Jewish settlers in Gaza and never once I have heard that Jews used to live there before. If it doesn't fit the narrative just erase it from history. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2005-12-14 08:04 |