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When Israel’s factories closed, the world didn’t know it was the world’s most important garment factory

Israel’s biggest textile exporter has shuttered a factory where it made garments for its biggest customers. 

The textile giant’s Israeli subsidiary, Levi Strauss, announced it will close the factory, which is located on a former factory site in the northern city of Ramallah, by the end of the year.

The decision comes after more than a year of intense negotiations with local authorities, which saw the closure of several factories that had been operating for years and a pledge from the country’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to revive the industry.

The deal was hailed by Israeli companies and unions, and some politicians hailed the move as a major win for the nation’s garment industry. 

“We’ve been waiting for years for Levi Strauss to come to Ramallah to rebuild the factory that was destroyed by the Israeli occupation and the military,” Saeb Erekat, the chairman of the right-wing Jewish Home party, told reporters in Ramallah.

“This is a very important victory for the people of Ramah, for the city of Jerusalem and for the country.”

Israel, which exports garments to more than 80 countries, has struggled to revive its textile sector, a sector that had shrunk by a quarter since 2008.

The closure of factories like the one in Ramah has led to a shortage of raw materials and the shutdown of the countrys main garment industry, leading to a decline in production.

In 2014, Israel shut down more than 60 factories.

Last year, that number had fallen to 33.

Levi Strauss, which has a market value of about $US10 billion, is Israel’s second-largest textile exporters after Dabney.