Israeli honey prices cause a sticky situation

Published by The Jewish Chronicle, 22 September  2011. Link here.

 
The Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies (JIMS) has claimed, just in time for Rosh Hashanah, that "outrageous" customs duties mean honey in Israel is 350 per cent more expensive that in the US, and 200 per cent more expensive than in the UK.

Speaking to Ha'aretz, Keren Harel-Harari, an economist at the Jerusalem Institute, said honey prices were so high because retailers were able to charge huge mark-ups due to the lack of competition. 

 

Customs duties of up to 255 per cent of the value of the product made importing impractical, and so Israeli producers could charge what they want.

However, the Israel Honey Production and Marketing Board claimed that figures in the report were "erroneous and mendacious", insisting that honey in the US did not cost $1.60 for a 350g (12oz) jar as JIMS stated, but cost $4 on average.

Given that the price of even the cheapest bottle of the sticky stuff in Walmart is around $3, it seems the Honey Board's figure is more likely to be true.

Ms Harel-Harari said "the average Israeli consumes about 300 grams of honey during the Tishri holidays". At current prices, this much honey will cost NIS 18, or £3.14. 

A few stories from September 19

Strauss-Kahn rules out French presidential run

Published by The Jewish Chronicle, 19th September  2011. Link here.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn

Dominique Strauss-Kahn has announced that he will not run as President of France despite assault charges having been dropped against him over an alleged sexual attack in a New York hotel in May.

The Socialist Party politician said during a television interview on Sunday that he would "obviously" not be a candidate in next year's elections. He said instead that he would be spending some time on the sidelines, taking "time to reflect" on his career.

Mr Strauss-Kahn apologised for his actions concerning Nafissatou Diallo, the 32 year-old Guinean chambermaid, calling them a "moral failure".

He said he was "not proud" of his behaviour in the hotel room, but insisted there was "no violence". He also said that renewed rape accusations by French journalist Tristane Banon were "imaginary, slanderous".

But French newspapers were broadly critical of his television appearance. In Le Figaro, political opponents of Mr Strauss-Kahn described him as a "megalomaniac", while Liberation said there was a "furious desire to move on".


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