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Food crisis imminent in 'Israel' if war on Gaza persists: Report

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
25 Dec 2023 23:57
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Approximately 90% of Israeli food production facilities are situated in conflict zones in the northern and southern regions of occupied Palestine, according to estimates by the Israeli Food Industries Association.

Israeli settlers stand in the market, Occupied Al-Quds, Wednesday, April 22, 2015 (AP)

The Food Industries Association of Israel (FIAI) has raised concerns about the possibility of a food crisis in the settler society if the aggression against Gaza persists without a well-defined strategy.

The FIAI has urged the regime's authorities to take immediate action to prevent a scenario of a food crisis.

Dodi Manevich, Chairman of FIAI, and Ron Tomer, President of the Manufacturers' Association of "Israel (MAI), have addressed these concerns in an appeal to David Bitan, Chairman of the economy committee in the Knesset: requesting an emergency meeting to discuss crucial aspects of food security and the establishment of an emergency food stockpile, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Manevich and Tomer emphasized the need for a comprehensive strategy to ensure that at least 75% of all food products are locally sourced to mitigate the potential impact of a food crisis.

Currently, approximately 90% of Israeli food production facilities are situated in conflict zones in the northern and southern regions of occupied Palestine, according to estimates by the FIAI.

Despite being in the range of rocket attacks from Gaza or Lebanon, these facilities continue to operate, with many employees evacuated to safer areas.

The officials also highlighted the threat to supply chains posed by Yemeni operations against Israeli merchant vessels in the Red Sea. The vulnerability of these supply chains raises additional concerns about the stability of the food distribution network.

As tensions persist, the FIAI and MAI underscore the urgency for immediate government intervention and strategic planning to safeguard the nation against a potential food crisis. The outcome of these deliberations could play a critical role in ensuring the resilience of Israeli food supply in the face of ongoing geopolitical challenges.

Israeli economy to shrink 2% as workforce is displaced, drafted

It was reported earlier today that the Israeli economy, according to forecasts, is expected to shrink by 2 percent in the concluding economic quarter of the year.

Since the mark of the war on Gaza, workers have been drafted to serve with the Israeli occupation forces, marking a drastic economic stump for "Israel". Before the war, only 3% of the workforce was missing from labor markets. The statistic saw a 17% jump following October 7, according to the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies, an Israeli think tank.

Consequentially, 20% of the Israeli workforce, or 900,000 Israelis, are now either enlisted in the IOF, unemployed at home, fled from settlements where attacks have been concentrated, such as by the borders of Lebanon and Gaza, or are unable to work due to the destruction of their work industry.

Although negative estimates of Israeli economic growth have been a concern for the occupation, accounting for the material losses it has experienced, as well as the drastic cost of war, the "Bank of Israel" projected an ambitious 2% growth, referencing previous wars and the Covid-19 epidemic that did not affect the economy as expected. However, different sources claimed that if the Israeli economy were to see growth, it would roof at 0.5%.

“The wide range of projections that we are seeing comes from some of the different assumptions about how long and how intense the fighting will be,” said the vice president of research at the "Israel Democracy Institute" and a former governor of the "Bank of Israel," Karnit Flug.