Posted on 05/11/2010 5:51:58 AM PDT by SJackson
Finance minister says new membership is 'stamp of approval', will attract foreign investments
The Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) accepted Israel into its ranks Monday during a vote, as its 32nd member.
Finance minister says chances appear good in 2010, MK Tibi says OECD should reject Israel because it does not treat Arab citizens equally Full Story
Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, currently in China, received an unofficial message from the organization, and an official statement will be made in Paris in the afternoon.
The official invitation is to be handed to Steinitz at a convention of the OECD's finance ministers in Paris at the end of the month. Slovenia and Estonia were also accepted as members Monday.
"The significance of this is huge and that is why, as a matter of fact, I decided to treat it as a top priority 10 months ago and enter into a special program to introduce Israel into the organization at a peak time," Steinitz told Israel Radio.
"It is the most respectable international club a small state like Israel can be accepted into," he added. "From what we know about other states, in the years following the acceptance there is a rise of billions of dollars in foreign investments in the state accepted."
If youd like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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As Alan Dershowitz notes, over the strident objection of truely advanced economic states like Spain. Dershowitz: Jews initiate legal terror against Israel
"I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members."-- Groucho Marx
We treat Arab citizens (ie, Israeli Arabs) a good deal better than any Arab state ever has.
No arab members of the OECD, and only 1 islamic country (Turkey).
Probably due to the lack of commitment to democracy. And the fact that they are not developed.
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