Jerusalem, 23 February, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Almost half of the vegetables imported from the Palestinian Authority pose serious health risks to Israeli consumers, according to findings presented at a Knesset Health Committee discussion on Monday. Of the approximately 15,000 tons of Palestinian agricultural produce entering Israel annually, a significant portion contains pesticide residues linked to cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and developmental harm to children and fetuses, lawmakers were told.
Committee chairwoman Limor Son Har Melech (Otzma Yehudit) described the situation as “real health lawlessness” and criticized Israel’s Civil Administration for prioritizing economic concerns over public safety.
“The Civil Administration prefers to prevent damage to the shelf life of goods and the Palestinian economy over protecting the health of the public in Israel,” Son Har Melech said. “In my opinion, we are not allowed to import agricultural produce from the Palestinian Authority at all. I do not trust my enemy to grow my food for me, which can easily be poisoned. I call on everyone who can afford it: make sure to purchase Israeli agriculture. We have excellent farmers, wonderful produce, fresher, healthier, and most importantly—much more Zionist.”
Attorney Avishag Schwartz, of Lavi, a non-profit watchdog organization, said that produce from the Palestinian Authority is contaminated at extremely high rates. “About a year and a half ago, the State Comptroller published a report showing that in the years 2015-2022, the rate of samples detecting abnormal pesticide residues was 27 to 40 percent, and there has been a constant increase,” she said.
Schwartz added that although samples taken at border crossings are tested in laboratories within days, the produce is distributed immediately. “In practice, thousands of tons of goods in which abnormalities are detected have already been distributed,” she said.
Dr. Ziva Hamma, director of the Risk Management Department at the Ministry of Health, told the panel that around 50 percent of cucumbers, 49 percent of tomatoes, and 66 percent of hot peppers from the Palestinian Authority contain hazardous pesticides.
“More than five different pesticides were found in 13 percent of the produce, and 14 percent of samples contained neurotoxic organophosphorus, which poses a danger to the developing fetus and can cause developmental defects in infants and children. Exposure also increases the chance of developing Parkinson’s disease,” she said. Hamma noted that steps would soon be taken to address the problem, including electronic monitoring of licensed farmers, increased sampling at checkpoints, and financial penalties for violators.
Amos Zoares, the ministry’s Judea and Samaria health coordinator, acknowledged that past delays in enforcing restrictions were due to economic and security concerns. “After October 7, they realized that public health is more important,” he said.
The findings raised lawmakers’s ire. MK Amit Halevi (Likud) told the committee, “From the data that the Ministry of Health itself provides, it appears that the food of Israeli citizens is poisoned. Israeli citizens have been suffering from cancer for years because of this produce — the Ministry of Health is silent.” He called on those affected to seek legal recourse against officials responsible for allowing the contaminated produce to enter the market.
Son Har Melech concluded the session with a warning to Israeli consumers. “You are being poisoned. Despite 45 percent of samples containing substances that cause cancer and Parkinson’s, and pose risks to pregnant women, children, and the elderly, there are those who prioritize the livelihood of our enemies over the health of our citizens. I entered the discussion pessimistic — and left much more pessimistic.”
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