Heter Mechira and Shemitta

This is an interesting tidbit:

The Chief Rabbinate has called on all the bodies that issue kashrut certificates in Israel to refrain from purchasing fruits and vegetables from Palestinian farmers during the next year, which is set to be Sabbatical year (shnat shmita), for fear the proceeds will be used for funding terror.

According to the Torah, during the shmita year farm-land in the Land of Israel has to remain uncultivated

During a sabbatical year, many haredi kashrut organizations prefer to buy produce from non-Jews, in order to make sure that Jewish law has not been violated.

The Shmita Committee at the Chief Rabbinate also stated that due to the security situation, kashrut supervision in the territories has become almost impossible, especially because of the great danger faced by kashrut supervisors in the PA.

Interesting, because in Shemitta years past, the Charedi population in Israel has generally sought out only those fruits and vegetables grown on land owned outright by non-Jews - as the Charedi world has decidedly not relied on the heter mechira that allows fruit grown on land owned by Jews to be eaten during a Shemitta year. The loophole is a way to skirt the commandment against eating or benefiting from produce grown on land owned by Jews by temporarily selling the land for the Shemitta year, in much the same way that Jews sell their Chametz and Chametz utensils to non-Jews over Pesach and then regain ownership at the close of the Chag. However, the heter mechira regarding Chametz on Pesach is far more widely accepted in the Charedi world than the heter mechira for Shemitta produce.

I doubt that this ruling by Israel's chief Rabbis is going to change much in the way of Charedi practice. I actually know many Israel natives who are so averse to utilizing the heter during a Shemitta year that even thought they trust a Rabanut certification on a non-Shemitta year, they switch to purchasing produce with a "Mehadrin" or "Badatz" certification that ensures that the vegetables are not grown on Israeli land - with or without a heter mechira in place.

UPDATE: Jameel has more on this subject.