Israel’s iPad ban

Israel is justifiably proud of its cutting-edge high-tech sector, so Israelis were a bit surprised this week when the government began confiscating iPads from travelers attempting to bring them into the country. No advance notice of the policy was given.  Here’s the government’s official explanation:  The iPad device sold exclusively today in the United States ...

By , a former associate editor at Foreign Policy.
569933_ipad2.jpg
569933_ipad2.jpg
SAN FRANCISCO - APRIL 03: The new iPad is displayed at an Apple store April 3, 2010 in San Francisco, California. Hundreds of people lined up hours before the Apple store opened to purchase the new iPad which debuted today. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Israel is justifiably proud of its cutting-edge high-tech sector, so Israelis were a bit surprised this week when the government began confiscating iPads from travelers attempting to bring them into the country. No advance notice of the policy was given.  Here's the government's official explanation: 

Israel is justifiably proud of its cutting-edge high-tech sector, so Israelis were a bit surprised this week when the government began confiscating iPads from travelers attempting to bring them into the country. No advance notice of the policy was given.  Here’s the government’s official explanation: 

The iPad device sold exclusively today in the United States operates at broadcast power levels [over its Wi-Fi modem] compatible with American standards. 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.

It certainly makes sense that Israel wouldn’t want to allow devices with U.S. standards to be sold in Israel, but would a few brought in from abroad — only about 10 have been confiscated — really do that much damage to the country’s wireless network?

In any case, Israeli Apple fetishists are going to have to wait a bit longer. The iPad’s international launch has been delayed a month. 

 

Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating

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