Letting the Cat Out of the Bag

Last week a cat called Ziggy made the headlines in Israel and on radio in Britain. When a container shipment of plastic goods was opened in Lancashire out popped one hungry and thirsty Israeli cat – he had made a journey of about 2000 miles from Israel in 17 days without food or water.

 

Ziggy must have crawled into the container unseen before it was sealed in Afula in Northern Israel. Without food or water, he then travelled to Haifa for the sea journey to Liverpool and final delivery to a warehouse in Lancashire. When staff opened the container out jumped Ziggy. Frightened, he fled from staff and it was five hours before the hungry cat was tempted down from a rooftop by a plate of tuna fish.

 

The question news-commentators forgot to ask is not about the cat but the plastic goods he looked after on the journey from Israel to England. How much goods do we import from Israel? And how does that affect their peoples’ life and our prayers?

 

In 2004 Europe did 15 billion pounds-worth of trade with Israel and trade continues to increase. In fact this year, for the first time, Israel has become a net lender to the international economy instead of a borrower. The days when Israel’s exports were largely Jaffa oranges are long gone. Israel’s exports to Europe are topped by business services, electrical and chemical engineering and of course the diamonds which Israel processes and trades.

 

When you buy food at the supermarket the cashier may well be using software from Israel at the checkout, and if you book a holiday in England or abroad the hotel computerised room-booking service may again be using Israeli software. Israel is a major supplier of information technology and pharmaceuticals as well as oranges and dates on world markets.

 

In recent years Israel’s economy has grown faster than the UK’s or any nation in Europe. Its Arab neighbours view this achievement with mixed feelings – if Israel had free trade with her neighbours they fear it could outrun them economically, but putting together their oil resources and Israel’s inventiveness could make a trading block to rival Europe, America or China.

 

Israel’s competitive advantage has been gained at a cost. The gap between rich and poor has widened in Israeli society and those families who for social reasons do not have two wage earners have got left behind. This includes many orthodox religious families, and Israeli Arabs, and residents in development towns where jobs are scarce. As state welfare benefits are cut to encourage people into work, many families have come to rely on soup kitchens run by charities in order to survive.

 

It is a problem that affects British society too with our welfare-to-work programmes and the increasing relative poverty of the worst off. In both countries it needs prayer and practical action to help those in greatest need.

 

The last thing it needs to help the poorest would be a campaign of trade sanctions against Israel. That would not only hit the poorest but also damage employment among the neighbouring countries of Jordan and Egypt. They manufacture textiles for completion in Israel and for export to Europe under EU trade association agreements which came into force in 2000.

 

The International Development Committee in the UK Parliament this week took evidence from officials of the European Commission before completing its report on the Palestinian Territories, Development and Aid. Three years ago the same committee recommended suspension of the EU trade agreement with Israel. The government then refused to accept that recommendation. What will happen this time?

 

To tell us would be truly letting the cat out of the bag. Oh yes, Ziggy the cat is being well looked after by an animal charity in England till her owners in Israel are found. As for the parliamentary committee, until their  report is published in January we need to pray that any action our government takes will encourage income growth in the neediest sector of the Palestinian economy and among the poor in Israel too. That means above all reducing the threat of terror that so often results in closure of the gateways between Gaza and Israel. That needs effective action by the Palestinian Authority, not imposing tariff barriers on Israel, trade embargoes or boycotts. On the contrary, it involves greater trading co-operation and policies that reduce the threat of violence in order to help the least advantaged in society.