Israel to resume apple exports to Syria via United Nations
Israel will next week restart its export of apples to Syria through the United Nations, for the second year running. Approximately 10,000 tons of apples from Druze orchards in the Golan Heights will go to Syria, and, as the season progresses, Syrian merchants will transport the apples to Persian Gulf states, where they will be resold. Last year 5,000 tons of apples were sold to Syrian merchants.
The venture was set up with the cooperation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Defense and the UN peacekeeping force in the Golan Heights. The fruit containers will be loaded onto UN trucks, and then reloaded onto Syrian trucks at the Kuneitra border crossing.
Even though Israeli apples sell for a good price in the Gulf states, Israel may have to subsidize the sale because of high transportation costs. The secretary of the Israel Fruit Growers Association, Giora Sela, said that the export is possible due to last year's commercial success, and he believes this will become a tradition that will contribute to a normalization of relations in the Middle East.
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