Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel (Jewish Home) has ordered an indefinite freeze on imports of Palestinian agricultural goods into Israel, Hadashot TV news reports.
The decision, taken by Ariel without consultation with other government bodies or security officials, could cost the beleaguered Palestinian economy as much as NIS 1 million ($265,000) a day.
Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel attends a Jewish Home faction at the Knesset in Jerusalem, December 11, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
The move has drawn criticism from security officials who fear a further economic squeeze of the Palestinians could lead to an escalation in violence amid efforts to restore calm to the West Bank after a spike in terror attacks over the past week.
According to Ariel, the decision is a response to a Palestinian Authority order to meat purveyors to stop buying lamb from Israeli suppliers, an order that violates standing agreements between Israel and the PA.
Ariel’s move can be overturned by the government.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
