Many Israelis choose not to buy settlement products - and even more would do so if they knew about the true costs of the settlement project to Israeli (not to mention, Palestinian) society, and also if there place of origin was clearly labelled (Givaot Olam’s eggs generally are not).

‘Jameel’ - The chances of Beitar being fined or otherwise punished for polluting their Palestinian neighbours is just as likely as them, or other settlements, being brought to justice for the last they have effectively snatched from them to build their homes (40% of the land West Bank settlements are built on is privately-owned Palestinian land - including the fluffy organic egg farm which doesn’t even have approval under Israeli law).

If you try to guess my political views based on this post alone, you will probably get it wrong. You are within your rights to argue, but please bear in mind that sometimes we report the existence of an issue without going into our own political views of that issue.

-Ilana

In the Shomron where I live, there are serious conservation projects going on in many settlements.

The environment is something that should concern all parties at hand — and the politicization of environmental issues by hyping up an article about marginal numbers of political leftists refusing to buy organic eggs from settlers accomplishes absolutely nothing whatsoever for the environment.

In November I visited the Palestinian village of Wadi Fukin 1km east of the green line and the neighbouring Israeli town Tsur Hadassah to the west. Wadi Fukin has been using traditional methods of water conservation and agriculture for generations, in spite of the massive settlement of Beitar Illit to the east. The small village is being eaten up by huge piles of building rubble dumped on their land and many fields are polluted with sewage being poured onto them by the settlement. On the plus side, Fukin’s farmers have started selling organic vegetables to Tsur Haddasah and other Israeli communities.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1196847269878&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Your article bends a few important facts from Marketplace:

1. [Givot Olam] has become one of the biggest producers of organic and free-range eggs in Israel — not, “West Bank products constitute only a tiny percentage of organic products in Israel.”

2. [Organic products from the West Bank] It also doesn’t seem to bother most Israeli consumers. Either that, or they’re not reading the small print. The Israeli organic food industry grew 30 percent this year. — not, “There’s a growing concern among some segments of Israel’s population”

The Jewish settlements are more and more environmentally conscious — which is good for the Israel and for the West Bank. I could go on and on about the detrimental actions of the Palestinian population on the environment, (like when will the PA in Nablus stop dumping toxins into the mountain aquifer, Israel’s primary water source?)

Its unfortunate when people put politics ahead of the environment; seems like biting your nose to spite your face.

But whether one likes it or not, buying products from Givaot Olam and other West Bank settlements means buying into the ideology of the settlers + all the ‘free-range’ chickens I saw were cooped up ;-(

Most organic eggs in Israel come from Ran’s farm. Arguably, if people didn’t buy them, the settlement wouldn’t be flourishing like it is.

Have you seen the story on Gazans using used felafel oil to power their cars? http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2957154320080430?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews