Israeli Authorities Confiscate iPads, Block Imports
The Communications Ministry says that it is forbidden to bring iPads into Israel.
Israeli news outlet Haaretz.com reports that government officials are blocking imports of Apple's just-launched iPad device. According to the site, the Communications Ministry is behind the banning, and has even directed customs authorities to confiscate all tablets if brought into the country.
"It is forbidden to bring iPads into Israel," the ministry told one Israeli--returning from a trip to the US--after customs snatched his iPad away. "Send it back overseas."
The problem with the device stems around its wireless technology and Israeli's standards. The ministry's engineers have been unable to compromise on testing the iPad's compliance and suitability with Israel's wireless networks, and thus have rejected a categorical approval. The decision also came without notifying Communications Minister Moshe Kahlon, and has sparked a heated internal debate.
Nevertheless, no iPads are allowed within the Israeli borders. "The iPad device sold exclusively today in the United States operates at broadcast power levels [over its WiFi modem] compatible with American standards," explained the officials. "As the Israeli regulations in the area of WiFi are similar to European standards, which are different from American standards, which permit broadcasting at lower power, therefore the broadcast levels of the device prevent approving its use in Israel."
Haarestz reports that the ministry is in talks with Apple's Israeli distributor, iDigital, to retrieve "all the relevant information on the iPad."
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=( They think Jobs is the new Hitler!
Wow! Talk about being overzealous and ridiculously strict over a gadget! This is by the far the weirdest ruling I have heard of all week. Do these people really have nothing better to do? The fact that even the minister didn't know about it just proves what a bunch of mismanaged fools are running that place!
Fact: Jobs IS the new Hitler!
Its funny really that they base it on something like the wifi regulations for the fact that the wifi abilities of the ipad are next to useless anyway, even in america
WiFi and cell phone radio emissions have been a concern of EU since studies have shown that they may be implicated in health issues.
EU still turns a blind eye since we have major cell phone manufacturers and the adoption of wireless technologies are high, alas at least they control the power of the emitted signal.
Apple if you want to pass your product, find a good way to tunnel the signals through that unibody case, simply augmenting the power signal will get you nowhere...
I admit it is kind of dumb. They searching for an iPad when there can be a bomber right behind him. Not cool.
Must suck to be a Macintosh fan in Israel right now.
Afraid that they still sucky Wifi will fry everyones brains?
I have better things to worry about, like that I have only 15 minutes to get to work now...
The reason is bogus, IEEE 802.11 is an open universal standard and the wi-fi chipset is the same as the iPhone, already for sale in Israel. The same thing could be said for the GSM version too.
They are just for some strange reason trying to deter gray importation, maybe to be protectionist for some Israeli company making a similar product.
And in other news Palestinians can't go back to their homes (even in unoccupied areas).
They are just for some strange reason trying to deter gray importation, maybe to be protectionist for some Israeli company making a similar product.
So, the Israeli government wants to protect internal markets for an unknown IsraeliPad? I don't see it happening. Even if there was a company developing a tablet to rival the iPad, they aren't going to simply focus on selling it in Israel, and rely on a government ban of the iPad to support its sales. Chances are this is just the Israeli hyper-sensitive security train running amok.
Ah, at last! A "REAL" reason for Apple Almighty to delay the overseas release of the i-poddish ipad.
Must suck to be a Macintosh fan in Israel right now.
Actually it always sucked being an Apple fan in Israel, though the former representatives before iDigital were even worse.
It's not just with Apple though. I am still waiting for Athlon II CPUs at 45W TDP to arrive.
Also, many technology items are overpriced.
But thanks for caring, anamaniac
BTW Kevin, you should've used photos from this article instead:
Israeli Security Opens Fire on a MacBook. Thrice.
Actually there are macs and practically any apple product in Israel. The banning of lower frequency wifi is probably due to conflict with army frequencies (or other specially reserved frequencies), so it actually does make a lot of sense.
The reason is bogus, IEEE 802.11 is an open universal standard and the wi-fi chipset is the same as the iPhone, already for sale in Israel. The same thing could be said for the GSM version too.They are just for some strange reason trying to deter gray importation, maybe to be protectionist for some Israeli company making a similar product.
So, the Israeli government wants to protect internal markets for an unknown IsraeliPad? I don't see it happening. Even if there was a company developing a tablet to rival the iPad, they aren't going to simply focus on selling it in Israel, and rely on a government ban of the iPad to support its sales. Chances are this is just the Israeli hyper-sensitive security train running amok.
Bureaucrats - they live tiny little lives, in their tiny little bubble, not a care in the world, and then all of a sudden they decide to think for themselves and get all confused. I think that's a universal problem.
Could it be some corrupt bureaucrats are trying to protect the interests of some company? Always a possibility (that's also a universal problem), but I doubt it in this case.
The reason is bogus...They are just for some strange reason trying to deter gray importation, maybe to be protectionist for some Israeli company making a similar product.
Yeah, I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that security in Israel a top priority. Your conspiracy theory of an Israeli counter-product is at best like saying 9/11 being an inside job, and at worst just being plain anti-semitic. /facepalm
So wait a minute, American WiFi standards use more power than Europe, Israel, and other places? And yet I still have problem getting a signal to go through a couple walls of my apartment? You foreigners must have to have a WiFi repeater in every room of your house.
:,( lol not apple=Satan spawn! to bad Microsoft didn't let them do under many years ago. apple products=overrated items
who cares "Israeli Authorities Confiscate iPads"!!!
It's not that big of a surprise, the frequencies are slightly different for different regions. Check this out for the low down:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_ [...] patibility
Fact: Jobs IS the new Hitler!
Comparing Steve Jobs to a man that enslaved and murdered millions of people and started a world war that would kill millions of others. Bravo.
Wireless implicated in health issues? Not in any credible, proven way. You're smoking crack. Try worrying about the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide.
Why don't they just launch an IsraeliPad and provide those to the people whose iPads they have confiscated. This way their slaves ... I mean citizens get to use products approved by their Master ... I mean government.
Interesting. The over simplicity of an Apple product has hurt it tangibly here.
Couldn't the iPad use a built-in GPS chip to determine it's country, and then make sure to adjust the wireless signal oblivious to the customer?
this is stupid, why does everyone feel like they need their own wireless standard. lets just have ONE standard, i don't care if it the American, or European standard, we just need one.
Fact: Jobs IS the new Hitler!
More like Hitler was the old Jobs!
There must be some undisclosed detail missing here.
If this were true, then no Americans could travel to Europe with their laptops. That's just ridiculous, and it just doesn't happen.
Device not kosher? :-P
America just found another reason to stop supporting Israel. Now to get the wealthy Jewish in America to stop filling the pockets of politicians will be the difficult part. Israel has been causing commotion in their region for decades, and has had the support of America for WAY too long. This just goes to show how militaristic Israel has truly become. Some day we'll rank them right up there with the militaristic countries like Russia, China, N. Korea.
Device not kosher? :-P
Well, Passover was just two weeks ago, and the iPad does look a bit like a matza. Maybe if airport security were to open fire on it with a machine gun, it would have resembled a matza even more, and maybe then it could have been certified as Kosher.
Comparing Steve Jobs to a man that enslaved and murdered millions of people and started a world war that would kill millions of others. Bravo.
I believe it is an apt comparison. Either Hitler or Obama.
America just found another reason to stop supporting Israel. Now to get the wealthy Jewish in America to stop filling the pockets of politicians will be the difficult part. Israel has been causing commotion in their region for decades, and has had the support of America for WAY too long. This just goes to show how militaristic Israel has truly become. Some day we'll rank them right up there with the militaristic countries like Russia, China, N. Korea.
Can the apple-fanboy anti-israel fanatics please stop posting non-sensical bullshit? The comments here should be about legitimate and technical reasons for banning Ipads, not your personal racist vendettas.