01 June 2010

Well at least we can keep

the cilantro out of enemy hands!

Not that they can, smuggling is common (and especially so from the Egyptian side of the border, which is no longer cooperating actively with enforcing this embargo). The main impact on most meaningful trade goods (like those listed above) seems to be to keep Palestinians in Gaza in a state of economic hibernation and prevent local competition.

It would be a lot simpler and a helluva lot more understandable if the list included, I don't know, weapons or maybe materials for making weapons rather than food stuffs and containers for trade purposes (note also that chemical fertilizers, sometimes used in making homemade explosives, are on the "permitted" list).

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