Many and varied explanations for the cheapness of Jaffa oranges in Britain today have been put forward, but the real reason, it appears, is Herr Hitler.
It seems that one of Germany’s leading fruit brokers had ordered a large consignment of Jaffa oranges from Palestine. The order was duly received and acknowledged and, at the start of the season the oranges were accordingly dispatched.
Apparently it has taken Herr Hitler some years to find out that Jaffa is in Palestine and, therefore, that the oranges are handled by Jewish workers, which explains his latest edict.
NAZI DEMANDS PROBE
Some astute Nazi, with that “Aryan” zeal for noticing anything that may be even faintly connected with the Jewish race, was horrified to find that thousands of boxes of Jaffa oranges were being unloaded at Hamburg.
Could this be possible? With characteristic thoroughness the Fuehrer’s admirer demanded that an inquiry be held into this assault on “Aryanism.” It was immediately brought to the notice of Herr Hitler, who decided that such a state of affairs could not continue so he put a ban on the oranges—everyone being sent back to Jaffa.
The oranges were reshipped to Britain by the agents in Palestine, with the result that the market here was flooded. Aberdeen, Glasgow, and all towns in Scotland are reaping the benefit of Hitler’s ban.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
