| It has now been revealed the fruit, a type of orange-grapefruit hybrid marketed as Jaffa Sweetie (the Jaffa orange, named after the Israeli city, is known for its sweetness, for having few seeds and being easy to peel) came in boxes clearly labeled made in China.
Photos released by the Mehr news agency show oranges clearly marked "Jaffa Sweetie Israel PO".
The "Sweeties" were brought to Iran from China, where faking the origin of goods is a common practice, as we know.
Naturally, the discovery of apparent Israeli origin caused a stir in Iran. In its report on the alleged distribution of the oranges, the Ilna news agency said fruit still in storage would not be sold. An Iranian customs official later told a third news agency, Isna, he found the reports impossible to believe but added that if any Israeli oranges had been imported, it could only have happened through unofficial channels.
Outrage followed, distribution centers stocking the fruit were sealed and accusations were traded!
Such is the infamy of dealing with Israel that an Iranian official went so far as to accuse the opposition of a "citrus plot". Talk about an international intrigue!
Tal Amit, the general manager of Israel's Citrus Marketing Board, said the fruit had not originated in his country. Fears that an Iranian ban on imports from its arch foe Israel was flouted by the sale of Jaffa oranges have sparked an inquiry in Tehran, reports say.
The plot thickens here: the fruit was imported via Dubai and put on sale at markets and in shops in and around Tehran, one report says. How this was done, no one knows for sure. No one is owning up to the importation of the "Sweeties"!
Meanwhile in Iran, deputy Iranian Commerce Minister Mohammad Sadeq Mofatteh did not lose much time at pointing the finger and claimed that the oranges have been labeled as "Jaffa sweetie Israel PO" in order to discredit the ruling government.
He added that anyone who can vindicate that the Iranian Commerce Ministry has issued permit for import of orange from Israel would be awarded a 1,000,000,000,000 Iranian rials (USD 100,000,000) cash prize. LOL!
What would make the oranges story that bit juicier is the possibility that Ahmadinejad is responsible. A pro-reform news website "salaamnews" is reporting that the "Israeli" oranges were distributed for free in Islamshahr during a visit by President Mahmud Ahmadinejad.
In the past, Ahmadinejad has been accused of distributing free potatoes to gain people's vote ahead of the June presidential election. Triple LOL! |
