Israel Authorities Confiscate 18,000 ‘Illegal’ Eggs

Agriculture officials seized a shipment of over 18,000 illegal eggs they said were destined for markets and groceries in Jerusalem. The eggs were produced in the area of Ramallah, in the Palestinian Authority-controlled area of Yehudah and Shomron, and sported fraudulent approval stamps of Israeli agricultural agencies.

According to investigators, the eggs were produced on farms in the Yerushalayim area. The eggs were found in trucks that had false walls, with the eggs hidden inside. The eggs were deemed “dangerous,” and were taken to be destroyed.

While importing such eggs to Israel is illegal, many Israelis do take advantage of the substantially lower prices of eggs in PA villages to save as much as 40 percent over the cost of eggs in Israeli supermarkets. Aware of the problem, the government is seeking to allow the import of eggs from abroad to help lower the prices for consumers.

Like with many of the other products that have seen their duties slashed, eggs are largely marketed by one company – Tnuva – and as a result, the government believes, egg prices in Israel are significantly higher than they are abroad.