From salads to shakshuka, tomatoes are a staple of Israeli cuisine with an average consumption of 14,000 tons per month. However, a recent shortage has turned this kitchen essential into a rare commodity.

On average, regular tomatoes are now selling for up to 15 shekels ($4.00) per kilogram in stores. Premium cluster tomatoes have reached even more staggering heights, commanding between 25 and 45 shekels per kilo. The crisis has contributed to a 10% increase in the Consumer Price Index which is significantly impacting the cost of living for average Israelis.

Two main factors have contributed to Israel’s tomato catastrophe.

Last summer, a merciless heatwave decimated local harvests, leaving farmers with wilted crops and slim pickings. Just as the domestic shortage bit hard, Turkish President Recep Erdoğan’s complete import/export ban in support of Hamas has left Israeli supermarkets scrambling.

To make matters worse, Jordan is refusing to export tomatoes to Israel even after the Israeli Health Ministry lifted a recent ban on produce imports. The ban was initially imposed last month due to concerns about cholera bacteria found in runoff from the Yarmouk River. Despite Israel’s reinstatement of imports under certain conditions, Jordanian officials remain uncooperative.

A source in Israel’s Agriculture Ministry suggests that Jordan might be using this incident as an excuse to punish Israel over its ongoing war with Hamas and Hezbollah.

“The Jordanians were offended by the unilateral announcement and are awaiting an apology from the Health Ministry,” the source tells JNS. “With a global shortage of tomatoes and rising demand, Jordanian growers have no issue finding alternative markets.”

Now, with both home-grown and imported options drying up, Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has ordered an additional import quota for 5,000 tons of tariff-free tomatoes. Effective until December, it follows a similar 5,000-ton quota approved in mid-August by the Health Ministry, with 2,500 tons already entering Israel from Poland.