Israel imposing low-hummus diet on Palestinian laborers
Obesity is an increasingly WIDEspread phenomenon in the Western world, but Israel, fulfilling its promise as a light unto nations, is making sure Palestinians remain healthy enough to imprison for a long time by imposing a strict diet on them.
At the Sha’ar Efraim checkpoint in Tulkarem, the private Israeli security firm that runs the checkpoint (privatizing the occupation) imposes strict limits on the food Palestinians can carry with them when crossing through. The company’s policy bans the following items:
- Large bottles of frozen water and large bottles of soft drinks (they could
be used in mentos rockets),
- home-cooked food (the hell?),
- coffee and tea (payback for any Starbucks boycotting)
- zaatar. That shit is indistinguishable from marijuana after all.
The security company also dictates the quantity of items allowed:
- Five pitas,
- one container of hummus and canned tuna,
- one small bottle or can of beverage,
- one or two slices of cheese,
- a few spoonfuls of sugar,
- and 5 to 10 olives. The exact amount depends on the mood of the Israeli guard, but its important that the Palestinian not try to cross with less than 5 olives.
- Workers are also not allowed to carry cooking utensils and work tools.This is just cultural sensitivity, because Arabs like to eat with their hands.
Of course, there is an excellent reason for such exclusively Israeli assholishness. According to the company, these insane restrictions are imposed due to ’security and health risks’. Now who on earth saw that coming?
Honestly though, such policies might be good for Palestinians in the long run. Now those in the West Bank can understand some of what their brethren in Gaza have been going through with the Israeli-imposed limits on their food intake. Perhaps such empathy will make national conciliation easier. In the meantime, its definitely making it easier to prove how much of a prick Israel is.
