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Spanish-Israeli Trade
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Drosbabch & Sons
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"WE BELIEVE IN BASIC VALUES"
ONLY MINUTES FROM BIRMINGHAM & BLOOMFIELD -
JUST WEST OF TELEGRAPH ON SEVEN MILE ROAD
90
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1988
M
adrid — The strong
economic relations
expected between
Spain and Israel, following
the establishment of
diplomatic ties nearly a year
ago, have not materialized.
Gregorio Marnion, chair-
man of the Spanish-Israeli
Chamber of Commerce said
that an element of uneasiness
recently was introduced in
economic relations with
Israel.
He said Spanish companies
find the Israeli market very
interesting, but wonder if
mutual trade relations can be
politically tenable.
Political considerations
were evidently behind the re-
cent cancellation by Spain of
a visit by an Israeli trade
delegation to have been head-
ed by Minister of Commerce
and Industry Ariel Sharon.
Spanish officials made clear
he was not welcome because
of his role in Israel's invasion
of Lebanon in 1982, when he
was defense minister.
Subsequently, a reciprocal
visit to Israel by a Spanish
trade delegation, organized
by the chamber of commerce,
was called off, ostensibly for
"personal reasons." These
developments are seen as a
setback to Spanish-Israeli
relations.
Mordechai Amichai, an
economic counselor at the
Israeli Embassy in Madrid,
said, "What we now need is a
major event to attract interest
(in trade) and to keep the
momentum." But he doubted
this would come about soon.
Significantly, the Spanish
media called public attention
to the lagging economic rela-
tions between Spain and
Israel.
Jose Mario Aremro, a
respected columnist, recently
wrote in the influential
Madrid daily Diario 16 that
Spanish authorities were
either not promoting contacts
with the Jewish state or do-
ing it half-heartedly. The
message apparently influenc-
ed King Juan Carlos, who
met with aides to study the
situation several hours after
Armero's article appeared.
Shortly afterward, he met
with Abba Eban, chairman of
the Knesset's Foreign Affairs
and Security Committee, who
was visiting Spain to deter-
mine whether Armero's ap-
praisal was correct.
The Israeli ambassador to
Spain, Shlomo Ben Ami, at-
tended the meeting, and con-
firmed that Armero was cor-
rect in reporting that the
volume of trade between
Spain and Israel has
stagnated for he past few
months, with no
breakthrough in sight.
Israeli exports to Spain
totalled $56 million in 1986,
according to the Israeli
Ministry of Industry and
Trade, including $39 million
in the first nine months.
For the first nine months of
1987, that figure grew,
although not profoundly, to
$64 million. The main ex-
ports were: heavy machinery,
$27 million; textiles, $16
million; plastics, $5 million;
and diamonds and jewelry, $4
million.
Israel imported $126
million worth of gods from
Spain in 1986, including $83
million from January to
September 1986. The import
figure for the first nine
months of 1987 was $92
million.
Thus, Israel has slightly
reduced its trade deficit — $44
million for the first nine
months of 1986, compared to
$28 million in 1987.
But the Spaniards have con-
centrated on only one export
item, the Seat automobile —
about 40 percent of its exports
to Israel — and failed to ex-
pand their exports in other
areas.
Spanish tourism to Israel
has increased, according to
the Israeli Ministry of
Tourism, from 18,000 in 1986,
including 2,000 cruise
visitors, to almost 20,000 dur-
ing the first nine months of
1987, including the cruise
guests. That may be partial-
ly explained by the ease of
visiting Israel for Spaniards,
who automically receive
stamped visas upon arrival at
Ben-Gurion Airport.
On the other hand, Israeli
tourists to Spain must obtain
their visas in advance from
the Spanish consulates
through a cumbersome pro-
cedure. They must complete
detailed forms in triplicate,
present three photographs
and a return air ticket before
they receive a visa good for
one entry into the country
and a one-month stay. The
charge is the equivalent of $6.
Spanish citizens visiting
Israel get their visas free.
Spain, however, has rejected
recent Israeli requests to
abolish or simplify the visa
requirements, according to
Spanish officials and Israeli
diplomats stationed here.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency