NAM's call for sanctions could cost Israel heavily By Ellis Shuman   August 23, 2004 Israel Insider – HYPERLINK http://web.israelinsider.com/bin/en.jsp?enPage=ArticlePage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enDispWho=Article%5El4010&enZone=Diplomacy&enVersion=0& http://web.israelinsider.com/bin/en.jsp?enPage=ArticlePage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enDispWho=Article%5El4010&enZone=Diplomacy&enVersion=0&    A resolution adopted last week by the 115-member Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), that called for international sanctions against Israel including an entry bar to settlers, could cost Israel millions of dollars in exports, senior businessmen warned. But officials at the Foreign Ministry dismissed the danger, saying the likelihood of individual states imposing restrictions on Israelis and Israeli products is slim. In a document issued in Durban, South Africa, the Non-Aligned Movement urged all of its members to act individually or collectively to impose sanctions against Israel. A statement issued by the movement called on member states to decline entry to Israeli settlers and to impose sanctions against companies and entities involved in the construction of the wall and other illegal activities in the occupied Palestinian territory. Diplomats at the United Nations termed the organization's statement, which came in the wake of the International Court of Justice's recent ruling that declared Israel's security barrier illegal, one of the gravest ever issued against Israel, even though it is strictly declarative and does not bind the movement's members. According to a Jerusalem Post report, senior Foreign Ministry officials have concluded that although the resolution is very negative and a likely harbinger of what Israel will face next month at the United Nations General Assembly session, the likelihood of any of the states actually imposing sanctions called for in the declaration is slim. Passports do not say where the person lives, only where it was issued, a ministry spokesperson told Maariv, in reference to the possible entry ban against residents of the territories. He said, however, that countries requiring visas could be more problematic, since a visa form has to include exact address of applicant. NAM decision could hurt Israeli exports Among the member countries of the Non-Aligned Movement are India, Thailand, Ecuador, Kenya, and the Philippines. Many of the countries are popular tourist destinations for Israelis and others are significant trade partners. Some NAM members are important Israeli trading partners, such as India and South Korea. The decision could hurt Israeli exports, Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute chairman Shraga Brosh told Globes. In the coming days, we'll ask the commercial attaches of Israel's important trading partners what they know about their country's intentions, and whether they consider themselves bound by the NAM decision, Brosh said. The extent to which each country will act in accordance with the decision will determine the amount of damage to exports. A senior exporter warned that the NAM decision could spread like a plague. Information about exporters based in the territories could reach non-aligned member states though another international organization, such as GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade). Worried about the larger picture While downplaying the significance of the NAM declaration, diplomatic officials in Jerusalem are worried about the general trend towards sanctions against Israel, the Jerusalem Post reported. The UN General Assembly vote, which is certain to endorse the International Court of Justice's ruling, will also be non-binding but member states could take the initiative and impose sanctions against Israel, officials said. We must remember that these sanctions are only the beginning, said Nitza Nahmias, a political science professor at Haifa University. This is the marker that grants legitimacy to economic and commercial sanctions, which could endanger our future and security, the professor commented in Maariv.       © 2001-2004 http://www.koret.com \t _blank Koret Communications Ltd. All rights reserved.