The Blaze is reporting today that the tree that President Obama planted in Israel today to symbolize the special relationship between Israel in America will be dug up immediately. This is not a joke. All agricultural products introduced into Israel have to go through a quarantine in order to insure that they do not carry diseases or insects not already in Israel.

The article reports:

An Agriculture Ministry official told Ynet (Blaze translation from Hebrew), “Because the American President Barack Obama brought the plant with him and because it is forbidden to bring plants into Israel from overseas without first passing inspection or quarantine – due to the fear of importing disease or harmful pests that could be found on the plant – the tree will thus be taken for tests.”

The officials stressed there’s no diplomatic gaffe here, that officials in President Peres’s office and at the Foreign Ministry were aware of the plans.

Agriculture officials say the examination could take “months.”

Most countries (and many states) have laws against bringing a plant into the country (or state) that may have a disease or a resident insect. The mistake has been made a number of times–either a plant was brought in, an exotic pet was let loose in the wild and multiplied, or a research facility accidentally released an insect. Some examples–fruit flies in California, gypsy moths in New England, kudzu in the American south, and walking fish in Maryland.

The Israeli government did what was necessary with the tree, but I think the fact that the President set up a photo-op that immediately had to be undone is somewhat humorous.