ABSTRACT
The significance of the boycott lies not in the actual effect it might have had on the level of German exports over the years, but rather in the real or imagined dangers it posed for German economic policy as perceived by government and Party leaders in Berlin. Foreign Minister von Neurath also attempted to enlist the support of the US government to assist in efforts to end anti-German propaganda and the boycott. Fears of a reduced level of German exports on international markets, coupled with a more specific concern regarding markets in the Middle East, influenced the German government in its decision to sign the Haavara transfer agreement with Zionist representatives in the summer of 1933. Palestine's role in German export policy in the Middle East was determined primarily by its position as the Jewish National Home and the rapid development of the country by Zionists.
