Report: Jordanian traders exported 5 tons of olives to Israel despite a ban

Jordanian traders exported five tonnes of olives to Israel over the past two weeks, despite a ban on exporting olives this year, Quds Press reported citing a well-informed source in the Jordanian agricultural sector.

The source said the traders used barrels filled with salt and water and branded the olives as “pickles” to deceive the authorities and export the olives to Israel where traders there will press it into olive oil.

According to the unnamed source, the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture this year banned the export of olives to “achieve a state of balance between the farmer, the merchant and the consumer, and provide appropriate quantities at affordable prices” in the local market.

The ministry said in a statement in early October that the decision came in line with the ministry’s plan to protect the local product, regulate local market needs and ensure access to the operational capacity of olive pressers.

There has been a widescale call for a complete block on Jordanian exports to Israel due to its ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip.

READ: ‘Stop this genocide, or forever remain silent’: Palestinian envoy to UN