Khaberni - The Israeli newspaper "Maariv" reported on the controversy in Egypt regarding Israeli dates, stating that rumors of importing dates from Israel have stirred a storm in Egypt.
The Hebrew newspaper's report clarified that the anger in the streets over merely a rumor about the Egyptian government importing dates from Israel confirms the extent of public anger towards Israel and its products.
The Egyptian government issued an official and categorical denial of the rumors spreading on social media about its country importing dates from Israel.
The newspaper added that the Egyptian Cabinet Media Center confirmed that these allegations "have no basis in reality at all," indicating that they aim to undermine the reputation of Egypt's import system.
The newspaper noted that the official statement emphasized that Israel is not among the countries allowed to export palm products, including all types of dates, to Egypt.
It explained that the import policy in this area is subject to strict control, where the importation of fresh dates is limited to very small quantities and some varieties that are not available locally, while the importation of dried and semi-dried dates is only allowed outside the local production seasons and purely for industrial purposes.
"Maariv" added that the Media Center based its denial on data from the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture, which showed that Egypt's total date imports in the year 2025 amounted to 29,439 tons, all of which came from Arab countries only, primarily from Saudi Arabia followed by Iraq, Libya, Jordan, Syria, Sudan, and the United Arab Emirates.
The newspaper pointed out that the Egyptian government linked the spread of these rumors to a precise timing, coming after the Egyptian agricultural sector achieved an unprecedented achievement represented in exporting more than 9.5 million tons of agricultural products for the first time in the country's history.
Cairo confirmed that Egypt holds the first place globally in date production, with an annual output exceeding 2 million tons from about 24 million palm trees, and that it is working diligently to open new markets and enhance its international standing in this field.
