A reactivation of the Arab economic boycott on Israel would be a response to the Zionist aggression against the Palestinians, state-owned Syrian daily Teshrin said Tuesday.
"Arabs should reactivate the Israel Boycott Office (IBO) to counter the Zionist aggression and show the leaders in Tel Aviv that colonization and violence cannot lead to peace", the Teshrin editorial said.
The newspaper added "the IBO was a very dissuasive tool for several years before it was forced into inactivity by false Israeli accusations on the Madrid conference peace deal".
In October 1991, the Madrid conference launched the peace process.
Teshrin recommends immediate and firm action, "since Israel continues its attacks on Palestinians"
The Cairo summit follow-up committee called Monday for an "urgent meeting in Damascus of all Arab boycott offices".
The IBO, founded in 1951 by the Arab League, is based in Damascus. Its original task was to issue a bi-annual "black list" of Israeli companies (first degree boycott) or foreign companies -- like Ford and Coca-Cola -- which had links with Israel (second degree boycott).
When the peace process was launched, after the 1991 Gulf war, most Arab countries gave in under US pressure and abolished second degree boycott, depriving the IBO of its only raison d'etre.
The office still exists in Damascus, chaired by Syria's Ahmad Khazaa, but in recent years the board has failed to reach the two-third meeting quorum.
The last IBO meeting was held in April 1993 -- DAMASCUS (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
