Israel’s vegetable prices soar as Turkey, Jordan ties strain: What we know

Prices for fruits and vegetables are soaring in Israel months after Turkey paused trade to the country over its role in the Gaza war and a spat between the Israeli and Jordanian governments over cholera allegedly identified in Jordanian waters, according to Israeli media reports.

On May 2, the Turkish Trade Ministry suspended trade with Israel “until humanitarian aid is allowed into the Gaza Strip without restrictions.” 

Israel mainly relies on domestically grown fruits and vegetables, though there are some products that it imports, such as tomatoes, eggplant and onions. Israel has at times increased fruit and vegetable imports to increase supply and lower prices, with mixed success due to other pressures on Israel’s food security. Since the war in Gaza erupted in October 2023, Israel has experienced higher food insecurity due to labor shortages as Israeli military reservists were called up and foreign workers left the country and prices hiked.

Trade between Israel and Turkey came in at $7 billion in 2023, most of it construction materials and fossil fuels. Turkey and Jordan are the top fruit and vegetable exporters to Israel, according to the Israeli Agriculture Ministry. In 2022, Israel imported $11.4 million in vegetables from Turkey and $8.8 million from Jordan, according to ministry data.