‘Don’t Give a Fig for Turkey on Tu B'Shvat'

You bought from Turkey, you financed the next flotilla,” says a group that will launch a campaign on Thursday against buying fruits, especially figs, from Turkey for the upcoming Tu B'Shvat holiday.

Almost all of the figs in Israel are imported, creating a problem for Jews who want to keep the holiday Zionist and also recite a blessing on the Biblical fruits of Israel, one of which is the fig.

A group of national religious youth, known as “Ra'ananim” [waking up], plans to start their campaign in supermarkets in Jerusalem’s Talpiot neighborhood on Thursday and call on buyers and the stores to boycott Turkish fruits.

The Turkish IHH organization, defined by several countries as terrorist group, launched a flotilla last May designed to break Israel’s counterterrorist embargo on Hamas-controlled Gaza. When Israel navy commandos tried to board the ship, which had refused orders to change course from Gaza, IHH terrorists attacked the commandos, who were virtually unarmed, beating them with metal rods, knives and at least one revolver.

Nine IHH members were killed in the clash, and IHH plans to launch another flotilla on the anniversary of last year’s battle.

“The government of Turkey adopts policies that are blatantly anti-Semitic and with a clear agenda aimed at destroying Israel as a Jewish state,” said Raananim, as reported in Globes.

“As we approach this special day of Tu B'Shvat, honoring the fruits of Israel, it does not make any sense for supermarkets and stores to stock their shelves with fruits that that help finance the worst of our enemies," said group director Yoni Shabton.

He added, "Tu B'Shvat, the holiday for planting trees in Israel, is a day when the People of Israel renew their connection with the land and the Zionist dream. Let's celebrate Tu B'Shvat in a true Zionist way.”

Tu B'Shvat is the Hebrew term for the date of the holiday, the 15ht of the Hebrew month of Shevat, which begins next Wednesday night, January 19, and ends Thursday night.

It is a customary to eat a new fruit of the year on Tu B'Shvat and to eat as many of the “Seven Species” possible. They are wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates (honey).