Palestinian Authority Minister of National Economy Hasan Abu Libdeh held a meeting Thursday with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Ben Eliezer, the Palestinian ministry said.
The meeting, called by the Israeli trade and industry minister, was to discuss the PA's campaign to ban settlement produce in the West Bank.
“The request for this meeting only indicates the success of the campaign and its impact on the decline in economic strength of the settlements,” Abu Libdeh said.
Abu Libdeh stressed that the PA is determined to continue with the campaign despite Israel's threats to reciprocate.
Prime Minister Salam Fayyad launched the settlement boycott campaign earlier this year, banning the sale of settlement goods in Palestinian shops, and prohibiting Palestinians from working in settlements.
A door-to-door campaign in May saw volunteers distribute leaflets offering advice on switching to Palestinian produce, and in June a campaign to inspect stores for settlement produce was launched. Inspecting a supermarket in Ramallah, Fayyad explained "This is also part of our efforts to bring about economic independence and self-sufficiency on the path to freedom and the end of the occupation."
Israeli ministry officials have complained that the boycott violates international trade laws, and Ben Eliezer has called for an immediate lift to the policy, Israeli daily Haaretz said Thursday.
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