Israeli restrictions, land confiscation, and the closure on exports from Gaza have made Palestinian-grown strawberries extremely difficult to find in the West Bank. Nearly all strawberries you might find come from the occupying state of Israel. In 2009, Palestinians spent almost $19 billion on Israeli products for which there aren’t any adequate Palestinian substitutes. Strawberries are emblematic of Israel's strangulation of the Palestinian economy. I smeared Israeli strawberries on one of the iconic lion sculptures in Manara Square in downtown Ramallah.