Is Saudi Arabia Still Enforcing Arab Boycott of Israel?
In it continuing series of articles on the Arab boycott of Israel, today's Jerusalem Post reports that Saudi Arabia continues to prohibit Israeli-made goods from entering the country. The story cites several examples of Saudi officials confirming that Israeli-made goods are not permitted to enter Saudi Arabia. For example, the article quotes a Saudi customs official as stating that "there is still a ban on Israeli products, and anything declared as coming from Israel will not be allowed." The official added that "some people may try to say that a product was made elsewhere, but if there is anything which shows it was made in Israel, then it is a problem."
The article notes that the "Saudi position appears to contradict assurances given last week by US Deputy Trade Representative Susan Schwab. In written responses to questions raised by members of the Senate Finance Committee, Schwab said that Saudi Arabia had told Washington that it was abiding by its pledge to end the boycott of the Jewish state."
Separately, UPI reports that the Saudi Ministry of Health is "investigating the possibility of infiltration of medical equipment manufactured in Israel to the Saudi market."
Saudi Arabia, along with Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen, appear on the most recent version of the Treasury Department's "List of Countries Requiring Cooperation With an International Boycott," which was last updated in December 2004.
Labels: Boycotts
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