ISDS Case Map
Israel
Israel has proposed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India to boost burgeoning economic and bilateral ties.
The impact of the Qualifying Industrial Zones -- a concept proposed by the United States in 1996 to bolster cooperation between Jordan and Israel after the Jordan-Israel peace agreement was signed in 1995 -- remains, after 10 years, difficult to determine. In spite of the tremendous growth of exports to the US market through these zones, QIZs continue to receive mixed reviews and their future is uncertain. Most importantly, the impact of the QIZs on the peace effort has been insignificant, to say the least.
Sri Lanka last week entered into an economic cooperation agreement with Israel.
The aim of this paper is to try to understand the Israeli industrialists' strategy in the globalization process in the course of the recent years. The new strategy was implemented in the days of the first Intifada (the Palestinian uprising) in the late 80s. At that time voices were heard in the Association of Israeli Industrialists, the strongest organization of Israeli employers, advocating an agreement with the Palestinians which would not oppose the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, as long as the Palestinian economic dependence on Israel is preserved.
Members of J-BIG have joined the wider campaign for abolishing the special trade and economic benefits granted to Israel as part of its trade agreement with the European Union. Indeed a significant number of British MPs appear to support this campaign.
The next time your Wal-Mart sweatpants read “Made in Jordan QIZ” on the label, consider the relationship between economic integration and peace. The truth might not be what you expect.
Israel is examining the idea of upgrading its relations with the European Union and gaining the status of Norway and Switzerland, which although not members of the EU have free passage for people, capital and merchandise between them and the rest of the EU countries.
Despite its commitments under the Association Agreement and the European Neighbourhood Policy, the EU commissioner for external relations said, Israel "has not yet made up its mind how to work with us."
While Israel signed an association agreement with the EU in November 1995--which incorporates specific free trade regulations--the prospect of Israel's full membership in the EU has never been seriously considered by either Israeli or European leaders.
The UK House of Commons international development committee is calling on the Labour government to press for sanctions against Israel over its treatment of the Palestinian people. As a first step in putting pressure on the Israeli government to end this oppression, the UK should now urge its fellow members in the EU to consider suspending the EU-Israel association agreement, the cross-party committee says.
