Israeli lawmakers seek boycott of firms

JERUSALEM, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Lawmakers in Israel called for a boycott of Israeli companies aiding in the building of Rawabi, the first new Palestinian West Bank city, officials said.

The lawmakers accuse the companies of signing contracts agreeing to refrain from purchasing Israeli goods made in West Bank settlements, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, thereby supporting a boycott on such goods initiated by the Palestinian Authority, Israel Radio said Monday.

Forty-eight Knesset members signed a petition calling for the boycott of 20 companies, The Jerusalem Post said. The petition was circulated by the Land of Israel Lobby on Monday and Knesset members from Kadima and the National Union were among those who signed it, including the Kadima faction chairwoman, Dalia Itzik, the English-language daily said.

The petition called on lawmakers "regardless of factions, to refrain from engaging in any business from now on with the companies who agreed to sign this shameful agreement, which is cooperation with Palestinian economic terrorism," the newspaper said.

A statement released by Knesset members Ze'ev Elkin and Arye Eldad said, "Israeli companies supply products and services for the establishment of the Arab city Rawabi, they agreed to sign an agreement and by doing so joined the Palestinian boycott of products and services originating in what they refer to as occupied East Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank, the occupied Gaza Strip and the occupied Golan Heights."