Israel offers cash to firms hit by trade ban; Europe dithers on new rules
Israel hopes to redirect goods from illegal Israeli settlements towards markets in Asia and South America.
The Israeli government plans to pay companies in illegal settlements up to 200,000 shekels ($54,000) following a commitment by European countries to ban their goods amid escalating human rights abuses against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Roey Fisher, head of Israel’s Foreign Trade Administration at the Ministry of Economy and Industry, told Israeli media outlet Calcalist that it has set up a “dedicated team” to help companies operating in illegal settlements find “alternative markets”, including the Philippines, India, the United Arab Emirates, Chile and Argentina. The assistance also covers exporters of fresh produce, and more than 25 applications for assistance have already been submitted by companies expected to be affected, the report added.
Fisher, however, played down the immediate reach of the bans. “Not everyone is boycotting us,” he told Calcalist, pointing to differences between European countries. “Right now, Spain and the Netherlands are among the only places in Europe where there is an effective boycott,” he said. “The countries that have announced boycotts, including England, have not applied them to all Israeli exports.”
The Dutch measure goes further than some others. It prohibits the import, purchase and sale of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, as well as services facilitating that trade and attempts to circumvent the restrictions. Its significance also extends beyond the Dutch market, with the Netherlands serving as a major gateway for goods entering the rest of Europe.