Israeli, Palestinian and Turkish businessmen participating in the Ankara Forum will meet in Tel Aviv tomorrow. This is the first formal meeting between Israeli and Palestinian businessmen since Hamas won the Palestinian Authority elections a year ago.
The parties will discuss a Turkish initiative for establishing an international company to manage the Erez industrial zone on the Israel-Gaza border, and collaboration between small and medium-sized companies from the three sides.
Manufacturers Association president Shraga Brosh said the meeting’s purpose was to revive cooperation with the Palestinian Authority at the Erez industrial zone. He believes that the planned joint venture will create at Erez 100 new factories, under foreign ownership or in cooperation with Palestinians. These factories will create 5,000 jobs.
The Turkish initiative for Erez calls for the creation of a free-trade zone to export goods to third countries. The Turks propose that the international company be set up at an investment of several million dollars. The company’s main shareholder will be a Turkish company that will collaborate with the Palestinians.
The participants will also discuss Israeli-Palestinian-Turkish tourist cooperation to train personnel for hotels.
The Manufacturers Association of Israel predicts a 5% increase in Israeli sales to the Palestinian Authority to $2.2 billion this year.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on January 14, 2007
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