Palestinian businessman takes Israel to court over Gaza trade and Allenby bridge rest
Palestinian businessman Nassar Nassar has filed petitions with Israel's High Court of Justice challenging trade restrictions at the Allenby Bridge and the exclusion of Palestinian goods from the Gaza market. Nassar argues that these policies have devastated the Palestinian economy.
Why it matters
The legal challenge underscores the economic impact of the ongoing conflict on Palestinian business leaders and the broader regional economy.
From the balcony of his lavish palace in Beit Jala, overlooking stone terraces and a tranquil landscape, Nassar Nassar appears far removed from the crisis shaking the Palestinian economy. Yet it is from here that one of the Palestinian Authority's most powerful and influential businessmen has decided to launch a direct legal challenge against Israel: two petitions to Israel's High Court of Justice, one against restrictions at the Allenby Bridge crossing and the other against what he describes as the exclusion of Palestinian manufacturers and traders from the market for supplying goods to the Gaza Strip. Nassar, who built an empire of quarries, marble and stone that exports to the United States, Europe and the Gulf states, argues that the war and Israeli policy have pushed the Palestinian economy to a breaking point.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in