Israel to ban PA produce if Ramallah continues boycott
“Israel will not allow boycotts of any kind against Israeli produce,” the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Maj.-Gen. Kamil Abu Rukun announced on Saturday.
By TOVAH LAZAROFFPalestinian man packs cherry tomatoes at a farm in Tubas, in the West Bank(photo credit: RANEEN SAWAFTA/ REUTERS)
Israel has threatened to ban Palestinian produce from its markets unless the Palestinian Authority ends its boycott of Israeli calves and sheep which began in mid-September.“Israel will not allow boycotts of any kind against Israeli produce,” the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Maj.-Gen. Kamil Abu Rukun announced on Saturday. In specific, he explained that the PA has not allowed its farmers to purchase calves and sheep from Israeli farmers.“Because of the Palestinian Authority’s unilateral decision, which is hurting the economies of both sides, and after several inquiries to resolve the issue on various levels, I have warned that if the situation does not return to normal, we will not allow much of the Palestinian agricultural produce to enter Israel.”PA government spokesman Ibrahim Melhem said Palestinians had a right to diversify the items in its markets, including by replacing Israeli products with Arab ones, according to the Palestinian news agency, WAFA.The step is also consistent with the PA’s long term strategy of disengaging from the Israeli market to protect its continued “occupation” of Palestinian territory, he said.
