TEL AVIV: Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that on Thursday he made an "important" decision to sign an order cancelling, with immediate effect and for three months until after the next round of Jewish holidays in September, the 40 per cent customs levied today on imported milk.

"I am doing this very carefully," said Smotrich, "but with the required responsibility in order to eradicate the lack of milk on the shelves that the citizens of Israel have been experiencing in recent weeks."

"What stands in front of my eyes is only the good of all the citizens of Israel alongside the maintenance of agriculture as a national and Zionist value of the highest order," he added. (ANI/TPS)