Finance Minister Yair Lapid explains that if negotiations between Israel and the PA (Palestinian Authority) do not lead to an agreement, many jobs in Israel will be lost as a result of an EU (European Union) community boycott against Israel. Lapid warns that in addition to the loss of jobs, Israel’s economy will be dealt a serious blow.
In his address to the INSS (Institute for National Security Studies) Annual Conference on Wednesday, 28 Shevat 5774, Lapid explained that one-third of Israel’s trade is with EU nations and a boycott would result in a loss of 20 billion NIS annually, production would be hit to the tune of 11 billion NIS annually and 9,800 jobs would be lost, highlighting the need to reach agreement with the PA in the ongoing talks.
Lapid basis his remarks on research prepared for him by treasury officials during recent months, warning failure to reach agreement with the PA will hit the pockets of each and every citizen. He added “our exposure to the economic threat is far more significant than the security threat”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
1. The last time anyone boycotted Israel it backfired since it enabled Israel to claim it was fair use to use their intellectual property. That ia a big part of how Teva (Israel’s most successful company) got its first big break.
2. The upper class in Israel benefit most from trade with the EU.
3. Once the EU approves a boycott, it can’t claim to be neutral. That means Israel can respond by treating anyone from the EU has hostile (e.g. restricting their NGOs, etc.). Looking at the European press suggests that a major boycott of Israel by EU is more of a political fantasy of some Israeli politicians.
4. As it is, Israel should be responding to growing anti-semitism in Europe (especially attacks on Bris Milah and Kashruth) with its own boycotts, and moving towards ties with friendlier countries elsewhere.
If there are more than 9800 Arabs from yehuda and shormron that work in israel replace them with israelis.
And if an “agreement” is reached, it will probably cost more than 10,000 lives, lo aleinu.
The left said the same thing before Oslo. Then there were 2 thousand people who didn’t need work because they were dead.