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Palestinians boycott Israeli products

Yasser Arafat August 17, 1997
Web posted at: 12:05 p.m. EDT (1605 GMT)

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Palestinian leaders Sunday reaffirmed their commitment to the regional peace process, but said tit-for-tat sanctions against Israel were being implemented. The officials also indicated that Palestinian "national unity" talks, which are to include the Islamic resistance movement Hamas, would go ahead this week.

Khaled Salam, economic adviser to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, said an economic embargo would be gradually implemented after the move was approved by a nine-member Cabinet committee Saturday night.

Israel closed the West Bank and Gaza Strip and withheld millions of dollars in tax revenue it owes the Palestinians after 15 people were killed in two suicide bombings by suspected Islamic militants in Jerusalem last month.

Yasser Arafat on the Palestinian commitment to the peace process
icon 288K/23 sec. AIFF or WAV sound

Israel said it would only ease the measures once Arafat made a 100 percent commitment to cracking down on terrorism.

"We will start a gradual embargo of Israeli products because we want the Israeli producers to feel the effect of the closure, too," Salam said.

Salam said that the Palestinian Authority would contact Israeli business leaders, including the local makers of Pepsi and Coca-Cola. He indicated they would face a boycott if they did not help put pressure on Israel.

According to a Palestinian Trade Ministry official the embargo will include:
  • Cigarettes, soft drinks, chocolate, cookies.
  • Other goods that can be replaced by Palestinian products.

David Bar-Illan, senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the measures would hurt the Palestinians more than Israel.

"He (Arafat) is showing a very antagonistic, hostile and belligerent face," Bar-Illan said.

Arafat says he is committed to peace

Arafat rejected Israeli criticism that Wednesday's "national unity" talks with several Palestinian groups amounted to "appeasement to terrorism."

"No doubt we are against terrorist activities ... but this is a Palestinian interest and we are insisting to carry on dialogue with all Palestinian groups."

The Palestinian Authority says about $9 million worth of Israeli goods are imported into the West Bank and Gaza Strip daily.

Hamas, which Israel suspects is behind the latest Jerusalem bomb attacks, is expected to attend the Palestinian talks.

It also took part in a first round of unity talks in February but later withdrew, saying its activists remained in Palestinian jails.

Militant members of Hamas have claimed responsibility for a series of bomb attacks against Israeli targets.

Correspondent Jerrold Kessel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
 
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