The Delicate Business of iPad Diplomacy
Apple delayed the international release of the iPad by one month, to the end of May, citing overwhelming domestic demand. Not that the world is necessarily hungry for the tablet-shaped embodiment of American consumerism: Israel just seized 10 iPads.
As of Tuesday it's illegal to import the iPad into Israel, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, due to a controversial bureaucratic mix-up involving the nation's wireless standards. The Communications Ministry now says Israeli iPads must transmit weaker wi-fi signals, conforming to stricter European regulations. Because it is now forbidden to bring iPads into Israeli, customs is now seizing the devices at the airport — and charges for every day they remain in storage. We'd suggest a diplomatic visit by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, except Israel already has too many polarizing religious leaders.
