Israel, Palestinian authority resolve agricultural export battle

Israel and the Palestinian Authority have resolved a spat over agricultural exports, ending the biggest trade showdown ever between the regional powerhouse and the tiny economy.

The Palestinian Authority, which has been banning the import of calves from Israel, said restrictions were lifted. Israel in turn will lift the ban on Palestinian agricultural exports it imposed in response, Israel’s Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said.

The Palestinian Authority imposed the ban as part of its strategy to divorce its economy from Israel’s. The move sparked a crisis among Israeli cattle breeders, who rely heavily on Palestinian buyers.