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Reuters reports that Israeli authorities refused to renew the trading licence of Israeli Saleh Abbasi, who for 15 years has traded books between the Jewish state and its Arab neighbours, fostering a rare cultural link.
In August the authorities accused Abbasi of trading with "enemy" states Lebanon and Syria. An Israeli Trade Ministry spokeswoman declined to explain the timing of the ban. But she cited a recent legal opinion that forbade importing goods from four countries Israel views as enemies -- Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. "How can the People of the Book be against books?" Abbasi asked. "Books are a bridge to peace between cultures."