Israeli economy hurt by boycott

The article below is abridged from a March 31 Ma'an News Agency report.

Israeli exporters have been forced to cut prices in part because of a worldwide boycott of Israeli products in protest against Israel's occupation of Palestinian land, a leading industry association reported this week.

Israeli exporters have been "losing foreign markets and customers because of the global economic crisis and a growing anti-Israel boycott of locally made products following [the recent assault on Gaza]".

The findings were made available by the Israel Manufacturers Association on March 29 and published in the Jerusalem Post the following day.

According to the report, 21% of Israeli exporters face difficulties selling abroad, particularly to Britain and Scandinavian countries.

The boycott and the financial crisis were cited as the issues behind a forced price cut of 66% to Israeli exporters.

The report emerged as boycott campaigners announced that they are stepping up their efforts in Palestine and internationally.

On March 30 in Ramallah, a press conference was held by the Palestinian National Boycott Committee (BNC) urged local and international parties to continue their boycott actions.

They called the boycott a "tool to realise long-denied Palestinian national rights".

From GLW issue 790