AMMAN – The Arab economic expert Talal Abu-Ghazaleh has stated that the Israeli invasion of Palestinian lands is costing 100 million dollars daily as a result of the invasion’s both direct and indirect expenses. These are related to the direct military cost of the mobilization of 200 tanks for the duration of the invasion, in addition to round-the-clock flights and the mobilization of the reserves which includes payment of all reserved elements.
Further, there are the costs associated with the hindrance of the civil productivity of these elements in addition to those related to the lines of supply and finance. Also, there is the economic toll of the tourism sector’s paralysis and the decline of the industrial sector since Israeli producers lost their competitive capability after the loss of the Palestinian labor force which represents 25% of overall labor in Israel. Palestinian labor costs one-fifth of Israeli labor. This has made the Israeli industry face real difficulties in marketing their products to American and European markets, which attract close to 10 and 8 billion dollars worth of Israeli exports respectively.
He added at a seminar organized by the Ajman Chamber of Industry and Commerce –and published by the Khaleej newspaper- that one of the sectors that was affected the most in the Israeli economy was the IT sector, which is critical for this economy. He stated that two thousand companies withdrew from this sector which led to its collapse.
Abu-Ghazaleh believes that the economic attrition of Israel which is being achieved through Palestinian and Arab resistance will lead to the removal of the occupation. He stressed that Israel economically imposed a blockade on itself when it blockaded the Palestinians because it used to depend greatly on leaking its products made in the settlements to the Arab countries, so that they would enter as Palestinian products. This outlet is now closed to them.
He added it is worth noting that the European market became aware of this Israeli deception that targeted its markets, and formally protested against it.
Abu-Ghazaleh emphasized that the results of the resistance on Israel’s economy will play a decisive role in its downfall because Israel to begin with is an economic project, as the first step in its creation was the establishment of the Jewish Agency which is a financial institution. So according to Abu-Ghazaleh, the defeat of Israel will take place when its venture becomes stunted economically.
He pointed out that the volume of reverse immigration (i.e. emigration from Israel) has reached approximately one million immigrants and 50% of investments destined for Israel have been cancelled. He emphasized that despite the large volume of the Israeli economy, which reaches 100 billion dollars, it is an artificial economy since there are 10 billion dollars of direct US aid and another 10 billion that represent special privileges for European and American markets and 10 billion that are grants. So by analyzing the elements of this economy, it becomes apparent that it is artificial according to Abu-Ghazaleh.
Abu-Ghazaleh elaborated that Israel was keen to tie the Palestinian economy to it through the Paris Economic Protocol signed in 1993, which led to the Israeli authorities charging the Palestinians over two billion dollars annually, over and above the Israeli exports to the Palestinain territories that reach one billion dollars annually. All of these are sums that Israel has now lost.
Concerning the role that the Arab national can take in order to support Palestinians, Abu-Ghazaleh called for the boycott of Israeli products that leak out to Arab countries to close this outlet, and also called for offering all sorts of financial support to the Palestinians.
On the other hand, Mr. Said Salman, the president of the Ajman University for Science and Technology, said that what’s required is a strategic response to what Israel does by focusing on innovation produced by the elite. He stressed the significance of elevating the level of education, in order to win the battle in the long-run.