Palestine municipality offers tax waivers for shops boycotting Israel products

Palestinians call for boycott Israeli products during a protest against Israel’s latest attacks on Gaza in Nablus, West Bank on 5 June 2021. [Nedal Eshtayah – Anadolu Agency]

Beitunia Municipality, one of the main Ramallah neighbourhoods, has offered tax waivers to shops that boycott Israeli products, Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported yesterday.

According to the online newspaper, the shops, which are completely empty of Israeli products, would be exempt from fees for two years.

Mayor Ribhi Dola said the campaign is an extension of a previous effort which started during the Israeli offensive on Gaza in 2014.

“We hope that Beitunia as well as all the country will be empty of Israeli products,” Dola said, noting that this measure will encourage local products.

This measure, Dola said, comes in line with similar measures taken by other municipalities across the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian imports from Israel are worth $3.8 billion a year and make up 55 per cent of all imports into the occupied territories.

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