?Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh presiding over the weekly cabinet meeting in Ramallah. (WAFA Images) 

RAMALLAH, Monday, February 10, 2020 (WAFA) – Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh said today that the Palestinian government started a series of steps to combat Israeli measures against Palestinian products, including sending letters to member states of the World Trade Organization, in addition to addressing world governments to urge them to exert pressure on Israel to stop these measures.

Shtayyeh said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting held in Ramallah that the government is closely following the implications of the Israeli ban on export of Palestinian agricultural products to Arab and world markets that went into effect yesterday and its consequences on the Palestinian exporting companies.

He praised the farmers and exporters for their steadfastness in light of the Israeli economic and agricultural war against them and for their support for government policies aimed at the gradual disengagement from the Israeli occupation through becoming self-reliant, strengthening the national product to replace Israeli products, and enhancing partnership between the private and public sectors in drawing up policies and taking decisions supporting the government’s disengagement strategy.

The cabinet instructed the Minister of Finance to make payments from the tax revenues to the farmers and exporters of agricultural products hurt by the Israeli measures.

The ministers of agriculture and economy briefed the cabinet on the latest developments and measures taken to confront the Israeli decision. They said meetings were held during the past days with farmers’ associations and exporters to stress to them the government’s support for them in this battle.

M.K.