The blockade of Gaza: Nutmeg and national security

In response to a court petition by the Israeli NGO, Gisha - Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, the government of Israel has for the first time admitted that it has specific written guidelines for its Gaza Strip blockade which outline which goods it will, and which it will not, allow into Gaza, and in what quantities.

However, citing the "national security, foreign relations, public security or the security or well-being of a person" exemption clause in Israel's Freedom of Information Act, the Ministry of Defense refused to release these documents, while also declining to add detail as to why the documents' release could prejudice security or foreign relations.

The reasoning behind Israel's interdiction of nutmeg, notebooks and newspapers, therefore, remains a mystery.

For more information on this issue, including an unverifiable approximated list of prohibited and permitted goods, go to the Gisha website, here.