A boycott declared by Palestinian organizations of six Israeli companies and fruits imported from Israel that have a Palestinian alternative appears to be holding despite some challenges. The decision issued Feb. 9 by a coalition of the main PLO factions called for the boycott of six major Israeli companies: Tnuva, Strauss, Osem, Elite, Prigat and Jafora. Palestinian stores were given two weeks to empty their shelves of the boycotted Israeli products. An attempt by the Israeli dairy company Tnuva to deliver new supplies to Ramallah on March 2 was met with activists destroying the contents in Manara Square in the center of Ramallah.
Palestinian annual imports from Israel amount to $4.2 billion. The decision to boycott the Israeli companies followed continued Israeli decisions to withhold Palestinian tax monies totaling more than $100 million monthly. It wasn’t clear whether the call for a boycott will be eased now that the Israeli government has agreed to release the tax monies; although the actual release has yet to take place following the Israeli decision to use some of that money to offset bills due to the Israeli electricity company.
