U.S. warns Israel of sanctions
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Monday, July 2, 2001
WASHINGTON Ñ The United States is warning that Israel may
soon come under sanctions that would affect the transfer of U.S. technology to
the Jewish state.
U.S. officials said Israel has ignored
repeated appeals to adhere to international agreements that concern
intellectual property and other business practices. Such violations, they
said, would affect U.S. trade Ñ particularly in the high-tech sector Ñ with
Israel.
Such a warning has been relayed by U.S. ambassador to Israel Martin
Indyk, Middle East Newsline reported. Indyk said Israel's reputation has been declining because of its
failure to adhere to international trade standards.
"IsraelÕs international economic reputation is suffering because of weak
law enforcement and other inadequacies that Israelis and their government
should not tolerate," Indyk told an Israeli business forum last
month.
Israel appears on several lists of countries that fail to meet
international business standards.One is the priority watch list by the U.S.
Trade Representative office. For the third year in a row, Washington has
determined that Israel has failed to stop the widespread pirating of music,
computer software films and pharmaceutical products in violation of
intellectual property rights.
"Sooner or later, and I suspect sooner, this lack of IPR enforcement is
going to negatively impact industries like the high-tech sector that are key
to IsraelÕs economic future," Indyk said.
Another list Israelis appears on is that of countries that fail to
cooperate in the prevention of illegal money-laundering. Israel is also
expected to appear on a new State Department list of countries that fail to
stop the criminal trafficking in people.
U.S. diplomats have urged the business community to lobby the government
to enforce Israeli laws that ensure the battle against copyright theft and
money-laundering.
Egypt also appears on the money-laundering list, a move which could
endanger the expansion of trade with Washington. In Cairo, Egyptian
officials said the government would introduce legislation that would crack
down on such practices.
Officials said the government has ordered official agencies and banks to
adopt new regulations against money-laundering.
Monday, July 2, 2001
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