Just the Facts: Doing Business while Palestinian
Doing Business while Palestinian: Just the Facts…
- Roughly 127,000 Palestinians work inside Israel or in illegal Jewish settlements.
- Gaza’s economy actually shrank by 8% in 2018, while the West Bank only saw 2% growth.
- Olive oil and tropical fruits make up the majority of Palestine’s exports.
- Palestine has no airport. The site of the former Jerusalem International Airport is now being used to expand Israeli settlements.
- Ports and crossings have limited hours, no refrigeration facilities, no Palestinian agents, out-dated infrastructure, and onerous packing restrictions.
- Outgoing goods from Gaza averaged 201 truckloads/month in 2018, less than 20% of the 1,064 truckloads/month prior to the 2007 tightening of exports by Israel.
- Palestinian businesses rely on the Israeli ports of Haifa and Ashdod to export goods.75% of Palestinian goods bound for outside Israel and Palestine go through these Israeli-controlled ports.
- The King Hussein Bridge crossing into Jordan is controlled by Israeli forces.
- The movement of manufactured goods and agricultural products to market is subject to the whims of Israel, which often leads to unwarranted delays, increased costs, wasted produce, and lower profits.
This week’s Just the Facts comes from:
- IMEU’s “Fact Sheet: Palestine’s Occupied Economy”
- UNCTAD’s “Trade Facilitation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: Restrictions and Limitations”
- Human Rights Watch’s country report on Israel and Palestine.
Learning More
You can also check out the EU’s page regarding Palestinian trade.
Photo Credit
“Spices, Nablus Market” by Non Violent Vigilante