Dagger-shaped scent bottle a hot sell in Gaza

Perfume sellers in the Gaza Strip have recently noted an increase in the sales of a fragrance called “Dagger” that, in accordance with its name, comes in an elaborate dagger-shaped bottle.

Although it isn’t new to the Strip, many Gazans are showing interest in the perfume in light of the recent wave of stabbing attacks and this is translating into big sales, the Al-Khaleej news site reported Sunday.

“What is contributing to the desire of citizens to purchase this attractive fragrance is the shape of its bottle, which is that of a dagger, the tool used by Palestinian youths to stab and kill Israeli occupation soldiers,” said Bilal Mahmoud, who runs Romance, a perfume shop in Rafah.

The fragrance, imported from Saudi Arabia, has been widely available in the Gaza Strip for four years, but previously did not sell well due to its steep price tag of 170 Saudi riyals (NIS 173). Since the outbreak of violence several months ago, however, anything knife-related is proving a big sell, especially to Gazan youth who want to show their support for stabbing attacks.

“Nobody came and asked for this perfume before, but their love and support for the Palestinian cause and desire to send a message that Gaza and Jerusalem stand united against the occupier is driving customers to buy,” Mahmoud said.

Another perfume seller, Muataz Qasem from Gaza City, reported to Al-Khaleej that he was also selling large amounts of the fragrance but did not give exact sales figures.

“This is a special fragrance for fedayeen,” he said, a term for militants who are willing to sacrifice their lives for a cause.

The use of knives as a marketing tactic has proven popular in Gaza in recent months, and some clothing store owners have even been arming their mannequins with mock knives in a bid to attract customers.

It isn’t the first time that Gazans have used scents to show their support for terrorism. During the 2012 outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, enterprising Gazan perfumers created the scent M-75, named after a locally made missile that was fired in the direction of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

When released, fragrance creator Shadi Adwan described its scent as “pleasant and attractive, like the missiles of the Palestinian resistance, and especially the M-75.”

Local sources reported that much like the Dagger fragrance, M-75 came with a hefty price tag, costing about double the price of the average perfume sold in Gaza.

Elhanan Miller contributed to this report.