Israeli, PA economic ministers meet for first time in 5 years.
Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer met with his Palestinian counterpart, National Economy Minister Hassan Abu Libda, in Tel Aviv on Thursday.
The ministers spoke about economic and trade issues between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. This was the first meeting between an Israeli industry, trade and labor minister and his Palestinian counterpart in five years.
Sources who attended the meeting reported that Ben- Eliezer had expressed frustration over the PA’s intention to pass a law making it illegal for Palestinians to work in Israeli-owned businesses in the West Bank. Ben-Eliezer told Abu Libda that he had instructed his ministry’s director-general, Sharon Kadmi, to prepare special aid to assist the Israeli factories in replacing the Palestinian workers with Israelis.
Ben-Eliezer also spoke to Abu Libda about the Palestinian consumer boycott of settlement- made products, which Abu Libda said his government was adamant about keeping in place despite Israeli threats.
According to the ministry spokesman, Abu Libda asked for Israel’s assistance in gaining observer status at the World Trade Organization.
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