Gazan crash crops
In “The birth of the State of Palestine” (April 4), Gershon Baskin claims that after prime minister Ariel Sharon’s withdrawal from Gaza, “Gush Katif’s hothouses… went bankrupt quickly, as their produce aimed for the Israeli market was left to rot on the border.”
Yet Gazan officials themselves admitted that the greenhouses were looted by gunmen following Israel’s withdrawal. Deputy Palestinian finance minister Jihad al-Wazir said that looters stole irrigation pipes, plastic sheeting, water pumps and more. The looting of the greenhouses and refusal to accept the offer of Israeli expertise were the problem – not border regulations. The Israel border was open all year at that time; it only was closed later due to security concerns and the importation of firearms and concrete used to build tunnels.
Selective journalism and inaccuracies are not conducive to providing a believable narrative. KAREN PISK Netanya