Israel’s favorite treat… Iranian pistachio nuts

November 21, 2007 - 3:09 PM by Nicky

I think the Iranians should rethink their position on blowing Israel off the face of the planet given that we’re one of their biggest customers for pistachio nuts.

Yes, that’s right. It turns out that all those yummy pistachio nuts we’ve been cracking open of an evening actually come from Iran.

How embarrassing is that?

Iran is apparently the biggest exporter of pistachio nuts, and Israel is the biggest importer. The nuts are being imported into Israel from Turkey.

This hasn’t gone down well with the US government. According to a news report on Ynet US Undersecretary of Agriculture, Mark Keenum has demanded that the import of Iranian nuts into Israel be halted immediately. The Americans want the import stopped as part of the economic sanctions imposed on the Islamic republic.

Keenum, who met with Israel‘s Agriculture Minister Shalom Simhon in Rome, said he thought it was absurd that Israel was purchasing most of its pistachio nuts from an enemy state, and added that Washington was extremely troubled that Israel, America‘s friend, favored Iranian nuts over American ones. How COULD we?

Now the truth is out, I can imagine the scenario. Iranian pistachio nut growers will be flocking to Tehran in their thousands to demonstrate in favor of Israel. “We love Israel”, “Israeli nut eaters rule”, “Save Israel, save our pistachios!”