LOC09:18
06:18 GMT
GAZA, May 2 (KUNA) -- A Palestinian minister called on Sunday the
Palestinian private sector to increase investments in the production of local
goods to provide new job opportunities in the Palestinian territories.
Labor Minister Ahmad Majdalani told Voice of Palestine radio station that
Palestinians used to buy goods manufactured in Israeli settlements with the
value of USD 600 million every year before those products were banned from
entering Palestinian territories.
Israeli strongly criticized last week the decision of Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas on banning the sale of products made in Israeli settlements in
Palestinian territories.
Israel's Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom said Sunday to Israel Radio that
he considers the decision a scandal, accusing Abbas and Palestinian Prime
Minister Salam Fayadh of competing in showing extremism against Israel.
Majdalani said that it was important that the Palestinian private sector
increases production and investment to provide Palestinian products that
substitute for products that were imported from Israeli settlements.
That would provide about 50,000 new job opportunities, he pointed out.
He said that two industrial areas were being established in Bethlehem and
Jenin, adding that the Palestinian authority was planning to launch several
housing projects in the West Bank.
Karama national fund will be established to provide small amounts of money
to people to enable them to start projects.
About 30,000 Palestinians work in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Israeli established ten settlement industrial areas in the West Bank and
ten other industrial areas in settlements controlled by Jewish extremists.
Israeli media reported that many Israeli owners of factories in settlements
were fearing the Palestinian boycott and that some called for banning the
entrance of Palestinian traders to Israel to market their products. (end)
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