Israel Repeals iPad Ban

SillySilly writes "The ban has been lifted: The Communications Ministry announced Saturday evening that starting Sunday it will allow Apple's iPad tablet computer into the country, following two weeks of confiscations and confusion."

Comments

Well you know what they're like

[jpmorgan]

Well you know what the nation of Israel is like, they're always initially suspicious of new tablets. But they come around in the end.

Re:Well you know what they're like

[countertrolling]

This one might have the last five commandments..

Re:Well you know what they're like

[masshuu]

The 5 Apple Commandments.

1. Thou Shall Worship the Apple, Only the Apple, and Nothing but the Apple.
2. Thou Shall Only use the App Store, and reject any alternatives like unlocking.
3. Thou Shall Reject any alternatives, including, but not limited to Microsoft.
4. Thou Shall Bow in Ignorance, and Believe that Apple is always ahead in the game.
5. Thou Shall Down Mod this any any posts that violate any of the above Commandments.

Ban lifted, but limited to one per person.

[strredwolf]

At least they finally got it tested so it proved what it said. Isralies are picky to a fault.

But you can't ship 'em in yet. Limit's only one per person, so no gifting yet.

Re:Ban lifted, but limited to one per person.

[LostCluster]

Israel has been doing this "War on Terror"(TM) stuff for many years... and as a result some things that we consider harmless are "security threats" until they're proven otherwise. Anything that could emit a wireless signal could trigger something harmful, so there has to be limits on those things.

Re:Ban lifted, but limited to one per person.

[caseih]

And of course things that we (the TSA anyway) consider security threats--like water bottles, and nail clippers with a pointy file on airplains--are seen as harmless to them. I think maybe they understand some things about terrorism that we don't.

Re:Ban lifted, but limited to one per person.

[Anonymous Coward]

As an Israeli I assure you, the "national security" reasons given by the ministry were nothing but poor excuses after the fact. Just like in america (or even more so) words of "security" are just the joker cards used by the government to confuse and distract. I also don't buy the conspiracy theories about corruption related to this case.

The story, as I understand it, is a very simple story about a bureaucracy making a wrong decision, finding excuses to that decision and finally backs down after what it perceived as a sensible damages control strategy.

The order of events ( in my opinion ):
1) The custom personnel didn't know how to handle imports of the iPad.
2) They contacted the office of ministry of communications.
3) The incompetent office tried to obtain official details and specs of the device, failed to do so and decided to default to banning the device until further notice. When ignorant, Israeli bureaucracy always defaults to the lazy option and takes the "better safe than sorry" stance, whatever the cost is to the individual.
4) Headlines rightfully ridiculing the decision popped up in Israeli online news sites, followed by a world wide criticism and ridiculing.
5) The office understood the mistake but tried any tactic not to loose face. Then all the stupid excuses came out: the babble about national security, about the office protecting the convenience of the local populace, the lack of compliance from iDigital (apple products importer in Israel) and more excuses. Nothing more than "security", "what about the children" and "look a chubaka!" to confuse and distract.
6) The office waits awhile for everything to settle down and lifts the ban with remarks about "sophisticated lab testing" etc. Sounds very scientific. Very hi-tec. I'm glad we have such sophisticated people in our government.

Re:Ban lifted, but limited to one per person.

[techno-vampire]

I think maybe they understand some things about terrorism that we don't.

Yes. The Israelis are interested in providing security; the TSA is only interested in providing security kabuki theater.

Re:Ban lifted, but limited to one per person.

[drinkypoo]

Yes. The Israelis are interested in providing security; the TSA is only interested in providing security kabuki theater.

On the contrary, it is Bunraku. They entertain you with puppets, all the while saying "pay no attention to what the men in the black suits are doing".

Re:What, why?

[UnknowingFool]

Because Israel either (1) realized that it didn't really violate their standards as they thought or (2) realized that their standards are not enforceable because they are incorrectly set. The iPad follows the same Wi-Fi standards as other devices like laptops. Some test after the whole fiasco that the iPad actually emits less than an average US laptop. So if the iPad was in violation then Israel should be confiscating all US made laptops at the border.

Didn't necessarily violate, untested

[SuperKendall]

If the device violates their wireless standards then why the hell should they allow it to operate in their country?

It shouldn't. But it doesn't.

The whole issue was that it was untested. That was it. As with any bureaucracy, rules must be obeyed even if in the end the result is the same.

Re:What, why?

[LostCluster]

Everything that intentionally emits a wireless signal has to have a prototype sent to the FCC here in the USA. We typically learn of new Apple iPhone/iPad products just before they're submitted to the FCC because once they hit the FCC they'd become public record at that point anyway.

Israel's complaint was mostly due to a lack of a seal of approval that the iPad now has. Nothing wrong with the device, just need to show one to the approved lab and pay the fee.

Re:What, why?

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean Chinese made. The only thing exported from stateside these days are Britney Spears videos.

US made laptops?

[NotQuiteReal]

US made laptops -- Got a link?

Re:US made laptops?

[SuperKendall]

I find it pretty hard to get excited about a computer "made in the USA" when you know pretty much every component in the thing was actually made in China.

Re:US made laptops?

[OrangeTide]

Intel, AMD and others have fabs in the US. The RAM in my laptop was produced and assembled in the US. I bought it because it was cheap, it's the fourth time I've bought this brand and no problems yet, knock on wood. I don't really understand how something American made can be cheaper, but whatever, I'm happy to vote with my dollars.

I swear

[AdmiralXyz]

Sometimes it seems like Slashdot posts stories about Israel for no other reason than to get people to start arguing. Come to think of it, the same goes for Apple.

Why does anyone need to know this? There's really not much discussion you can have about "this country lets you bring iPads" in, before this whole pages inevitably devolves into endless flaming about 1) Israel's foreign policy and/or 2) how the iPad sucks because it's a closed platform or whatever.

I'm just saying, it'd be cool if the editors stopped and asked themselves, "Are we posting this because it's important news that people should know, or are we posting it because we want to watch it draw trolls like moths to a flame?". This story is firmly in category 2.

Re:I swear

[BadAnalogyGuy]

Some people travel to Israel for business. It's actually a technological powerhouse, not some godforsaken desert that many think it is.

So anyone with an iPad would be very interested to know that Israel was stealing these computers at the borders.

Sure, there is some levity about Israel's foreign/domestic policy, but the crux of the matter is that Israel was taking stuff that didn't belong to it in the name of "safety". That's pretty important to anyone who might be affected, don't you think?

Re:I swear

[gyrogeerloose]

Sometimes it seems like Slashdot posts stories about Israel for no other reason than to get people to start arguing. Come to think of it, the same goes for Apple

No maybe about it, Slashdot does post stories--and not only about Israel--for no other reason than to get people to start arguing. In fact, I've learned that if I purposely word a submission in a way that will stir up a controversy, it's much more likely to get used. I did exactly that this past week with a submission about Apple possibly buying ARM Holdings by adding a slightly paranoid-sounding sentence about Apple being "able to control who gets to use the processors (and, more importantly, who doesn't)." Totally unnecessary, but I knew that it would help get the submission chosen, and it was.

Re:I swear

[Slashdot Parent]

So anyone with an iPad would be very interested to know that Israel was stealing these computers at the borders.

FWIW, the iPads were not being stolen. The rightful owners could reclaim their property when they exited the country.

Re:What, why?

[FatdogHaiku]

You mean Chinese made. The only thing exported from stateside these days are Britney Spears videos.

I think her kids are also locally sourced... but I don't follow that stuff too closely because, hey, none of it's spilling my direction..

Re:Tablet computer

[pinkj]

It does more than an TRS-80 and that was a computer, wasn't it?

Re:What, why?

[mpoulton]

We typically learn of new Apple iPhone/iPad products just before they're submitted to the FCC because once they hit the FCC they'd become public record at that point anyway.

Actually the FCC will handle equipment testing and acceptance confidentially. The process takes quite some time (months) so confidential testing and processing helps prevent early disclosure of products. Also, many devices like the iPad do not require new certifications because they will simply integrate a pre-existing radio module that has already been though the process.

Re:What, why?

[phantomfive]

once they hit the FCC they'd become public record at that point anyway.

You can actually pay extra to the FCC to have them keep it a secret until the product is released. Apple doesn't trust the FCC to be able to keep a secret, so they do announce the products before sending them to the FCC. And frankly they don't trust the FCC for a good reason: the FCC really can't keep a secret, someone will get a secret picture of it or something.

Re:Trolls are not attracted to bait

[matria]

Yeah... like how that iconic picture of the 12-year-old Mohammad al-Dura screaming in terror moments before he was brutally murdered was finally proven to be a staged "Pallywood" production. Or driving the Palestinians out of their homes in Jerusalem. Oh, you mean those Jewish homes purchased over 100 years ago, whose owners the Jordanians drove out, renting the homes to Arabs and holding the rent in "escrow" for the legal Jewish owners? Until the Arabs stopped paying the rent and tried to claim the homes as theirs? And finally got evicted for not paying rent for years? Wish I could live in a rental house and then decide to just stop paying the rent and get to claim title to the house.

Or how about building some apartment buildings in a Jewish neighborhood of Jerusalem that in no way expands the borders of said Jewish neighborhood? Well, I guess facts really aren't all that much fun, are they? After all, "thousands of illegal settlements driving the Palestinians off their land" sounds a lot more exciting than "Jews legally building apartments in their own neighborhoods".

MAZAL TOV!!!!

[Phizzle]

The iPad is now KOSHER!!!

Re:What, why?

[phantomfive]

Wow, apparently you didn't read my post, because I explained why Apple doesn't go for the secrecy option (that is, the FCC has trouble keeping secrets even when they try. If you don't remember, Amazon's Kindle was revealed from the FCC even though they went for the extra secrecy protection). Apple reveals their products before the file at the FCC.

Re:What, why?

[adolf]

Wow. You're right. I didn't actually read your post.

Please allow me to retract my previous statement, and insist that the immediate unavailability of vodka combined with a fright of the forthcoming Monday must have clouded my vision and thoughts.

Why the iPad? iDigital is the Israeli distributor

[ebonum]

I think the bigger question is how 1,000's of other foreign products go in without any problems. Why was the iPad singled out? If I take my new HTC phone fresh from Taiwan and unlicensed in Israel, they are not going to seize it.

Time offers an explanation:

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1983236,00.html

"It is worth noting," Etengoff wrote, "that Apple's Israeli distributor, iDigital, is run by Chemi Peres, the hyper-entrepreneurial son of Israeli President Shimon Peres.

"Clearly, iDigital wants its lucrative cut of every iPad brought into the country — which it will undoubtedly receive when a modified European version of the iPad is approved for import over the next two or three months.

Re:What, why?

[mallydobb]

Another thought to consider it to figure out who is responsible for importing Apple products into that country...

Shimon Peres - Israeli President, Chemi Peres - son of Israeli President who happens to run iDigital, iDigital - Apple's Israeli distributor

If you're prone to think such thoughts it appears that there would an ulterior motive ($$) for the ban on the iPad. I live in Beirut and the iPad has been here for a couple of weeks now, but the prices are astronomical, they're basically double of what the US retail price is. Best as I can figure is that people are purchasing them from the US and shipping them over to Lebanon. Add on VAT and import fees and double the price so a profit is made and you get as 16GB model for just over $1,000 USD. I almost gagged when I heard the cost for the 64GB model. I am not sure when the iPad will officially make it to Lebanon through the handful of shops that retail Apple products but I sincerely hope the prices go down when it does.