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PA adds 6 Israeli companies to boycott list

February 10, 2015 at 10:34 am

The Palestinian Authority yesterday announced that starting Wednesday it will ban the sale of products from six major Israeli companies in response to Israel’s withholding of Palestinian tax revenues, the Anadolu Agency reported.

President of the National Committee against Israeli punitive measures Mahmoud Al-Aloul said, during a press conference held at the headquarters of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, that Palestinian retailers have two weeks starting from Monday to get rid of the banned products and that special committees will inspect stores to make sure the ruling is implemented.

The banned companies are:

  • Elite
  • Jafora
  • Osem
  • Prigat
  • Strauss
  • Tnuva

An official in the Palestinian unity government said yesterday that the government will today announce several decisions that will strengthen the decision and support Palestinian national products.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Anadolu Agency: “The government will announce on Tuesday – during its weekly meeting – a package of decisions which encourage Palestinian products including special facilities and privileges granted for the Palestinian producers.”

According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, during the first 11 months of last year, the total Palestinian imports from Israel reached approximately $3.05 billion.

Israel withheld Palestinian tax revenues in December last year in retaliation for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s decision to join the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Israeli media reports speculate that Israel will continue withholding the funds which the Palestinian Authority uses to pay its employees until after the Israeli elections due in March.