your pharmacist is right; soil contents in Israel is high.
you might not need as much.
Borax is also banned in Norway, where I live; but I still can order it as a washing compound from the EU.
healthleads uk has a good one.
"must be something to good about it in order to deserve banning makes me wonder if its competing with a pharmacutical drug. "
-soo right!!
Scientists are working with it as a brain cancer drug.
It competes with chemicals against rodents, mold and ants.
It is also used as a remedy for radiation damage.
Need I say more:)