Region | Palestinian Territories

EU urged to restrict imports of Israeli-Westbank settlement goods

The Palestinian government on Monday sent letters to European Union member countries, requesting them to restrict imports of goods made in Israeli West Bank settlements, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said.

  • Agencies
  • Published: 14:32 November 17, 2008
  • Gulf News

Ramallah: The Palestinian government on Monday sent letters to European Union member countries, requesting them to restrict imports of goods made in Israeli West Bank settlements, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said.

The letter highlighted the plight of the Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts as "collapsing under the settlement expansion," Fayyad told reporters ahead of talks with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.

The Palestinians proposed various options in the letter, from a total ban on imports from settlements, to raising customs or labelling them, Fayyad said. According to Fayyad Britain had expressed interest in the latter two.

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said the Palestinian campaign is not constructive.

"Riding the boycott trail will lead the Palestinians nowhere," he said. "It would be much better for them to concentrate on what can be constructive and invest in their own territory than seeking divestment in their neighbour's turf."

The Fayyad government is also targeting Israel's effort to upgrade its economic ties with the European Union. "We have no objection to that (an upgrade), but we are reminding the EU that Israel should abide by EU laws and international laws," Fayyad said.

"Israel is breaking the law by expanding settlements, and the EU should ask Israel not to do that as a condition for upgrading," Fayyad said.

Fayyad said that the feedback from EU officials, was "positive" thus far.

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