Faya’d Leads Campaign the “Cleanse” Markets of Israeli Goods from Post-1967 Communities

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Faya’d on Monday beefed up his campaign to remove all goods grown, manufactured or distributed by Israeli communities in post-1967 territory from Palestinian markets with the introduction of a “Shop-to-Shop” program. Faya’d told reporters in Ramallah that the plan will help in the effort “to cleanse the market of all settlements goods by the end of the year.” He also tied the program to his plan to perfect the institutions and infrastructure necessary to support statehood. Faya’d called it “part of our efforts to bring about economic independence and self-sufficiency on the path to freedom and the end of the occupation.” Stores that have been searched and are found not to sell goods from post-1967 Israeli towns are given certificates that are displayed to alert other shoppers to that fact. More than 60,000 stores will be checked-out during the coming week. The program is more than a public relations effort to support Palestinian entrepreneurism: under a new law, violatiors of the ban are subject to jail terms of up to five years and fines of up to $22,000.