Citing fears of possible food shortages amid the Ukraine crisis, Israel’s transportation minister instructed that cargo ships importing grain and animal feed be given priority for unloading at the port docks over the next month.

This solution of stocking up on grains before a predicted famine mirrors the Bible’s Joseph. Joseph, son of Jacob, was promoted to be the prince of Egypt after he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream of withering grain stocks devouring healthy ones as an imminent famine in Egypt. Joseph then advised Pharaoh to stock up on wheat to have enough reserves once the famine strikes.

Let that food be a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine which will come upon the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish in the famine.”(Genesis 41:36)

Israel appears to be heeding Joseph’s ancient advice in prioritizing wheat over other imported goods. “We face challenges to our food security at the time being because of the worrying developments in Ukraine,” noted Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli in a statement on Thursday.

“The State of Israel must safeguard its food security by strengthening our domestic agriculture. Taking steps to get the grain and fodder that Israeli agriculture relies on, the nation will quickly ensure that we maintain Israeli food security despite changes worldwide.”

According to the statement, shipping and Ports head Yigal Maor already took “several steps” to implement the decision.

Earlier this week, Israel365 News reported that the UN also warned of global food shortages. David Beasley, the UN World Food Programme’s executive director, warned that the conflict in Ukraine could spark off a refugee crisis worse than any ever seen before and a global food crisis in a combination. He described it as “hell.”