Story By: Conor Sheils, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
Palestinian officials are set to sue retail giant Amazon after it was revealed they offered free delivery to Israeli customers in the West Bank but not to Palestinian customers in the same area.
The Palestinian Authority, based in the city of Ramallah, in the West Bank, has announced plans to take legal action against the retailer over the discrimination that was exposed in a Financial Times report.
The authority’s economic ministry also said it will seek redress over the giant’s “policy that favours illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories over the indigenous Palestinian population.”
The news comes after it emerged that Amazon has been supplying Jewish settlers living in the West Bank with free delivery while their Palestinian neighbours have to shell out cash for the same service.
The policy comes on the back of an offer which gave Israeli customers free delivery on qualifying orders over 49 USD (38.08 GBP).
On the website, customers who select “Israel” as their home country receive the discount whereas those who select “Palestinian Territories” are subject to shipping and handling fees upwards of 24 USD (18.66 GBP).
When contacted by local media, Amazon officials said that the reason was a logistical issue and that Palestinians who wished to avail of the discount should select Israel as their home country.
In a statement, the company said: “In November, we launched a free shipping promotion for customers within Israel.
“This does not include the Palestinian Territories, as we cannot guarantee the high standard of delivery experience that Amazon customers expect.”
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 where hundreds of thousands of Jewish settlers live in settlements deemed illegal by the United Nations.
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