Following the lead of the United States, Israel on Sunday ended four years of economic and cultural sanctions against South Africa.
The Cabinet voted unanimously at its weekly session to remove the bans imposed in March 1987 to protest the apartheid policies of the South African government.
Israel has coordinated its policy toward South Africa with the United States all along.
President Bush announced July 10 that he was lifting U.S. economic sanctions against South Africa, which Congress imposed in 1986 over Ronald Reagan’s veto. Bush said the Pretoria government had complied with the five conditions set by Congress to remove the sanctions.
Israel has not, however, lifted its ban on military trade with South Africa, also suspended in March 1987. No new contracts were entered after that date.
If military sanctions are not dropped by December, when the last of the old contracts expire, Israel will have no military ties whatsoever with South Africa.
Economists hope Israeli exports to South Africa will rise again after declining sharply in recent years.
They amounted to $164 million in 1989, dropped to $96 million in 1990 and were only $18 million in the first three months of this year.
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