|
RAMALLAH, Oct. 28-- Palestinian government's plan for economic disengagement from Israel faces grave challenge, including Israeli threats to impose sanctions on the Palestinians. The plan comes in line with the resolutions of the Palestinian National and Central councils to suspend the recognition of Israel, until it recognizes the state of Palestine on the borders of 1967. Palestinian Minister of Economy Khaled Oseily told Xinhua that the steps are considered "a firm Palestinian right," and the government seeks to "diversify the sources of its imports, which is stated in the Oslo Accords." The Oslo Accords is an interim peace agreement signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel in 1993. Oseily said that the Palestinian Authority (PA) has received "unjustified threats" by the Israeli government, "particularly following the decision to stop importing livestock from Israel." He pointed out that the Palestinian government will take measures that will decrease the expenses on Palestinians and break the Israeli monopoly on imports into the local market. The government does not aim at "boycotting Israel," he stressed, but diversifying its sources for the benefit of Palestinian consumers, strengthening the commercial exchange with neighboring countries like Jordan, Egypt and Iraq. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Ishtaye held a series of visits to Jordan, Egypt and Iraq to discuss means to enhance economic ties in the past four months, where he signed a number of memorandums of understanding, hoping to start the gradual economic disengagement from Israel and boost Arab relations. | 
