A European Union decision to label goods from the Jewish settlements in Palestine has infuriated Israel which is calling the decision ‘anti-Semitic’ that will encourage a boycott campaign against the country. Drawn up over a period of three years by the European Commission, the new guidelines published yesterday say Israeli producers must explicitly label farm goods and other products that come from illegal settlements — settlements in the Palestinian territories and annexed east Jerusalem as well as the Golan Heights, all occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War — if they are sold in the European Union. The EU must be congratulated for this decision, which has come in the face of stiff opposition from Israel and it shows Brussels is charting its own course when it comes to Israel and its aggression unlike US which blindly supports Tel Aviv.
Britain, Belgium and Denmark already affix labels to Israeli goods, differentiating between those from Israel proper and those, like fruits and vegetables, that come from the
Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank. Now, all 28 EU member states would have to apply the same labelling. Brussels calls this decision just a technical issue but Israel has branded it “discriminatory” and damaging to peace efforts with the Palestinians.
More than the economic impact, Israel is worried about the political impact of the decision. The goods in question account for only two to three percent of Israeli exports to the European Union, at an estimated value of $200m per year, according to Israel’s ambassador to the EU, David Walzer. Israeli leaders are calling it discriminatory and ‘anti-Semitic. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compared it to Nazi-era practices and saying the EU “should be ashamed.” “The labelling of products of the Jewish state by the European Union brings back dark memories,” he said in Washington.
The EU decision is a huge victory for Palestinians and their supporters all over the world and a setback for Israel which has been enjoying immunity for its aggression against Palestinians. The West is increasingly becoming aware of the injustices heaped on Palestinians, an awareness which is gaining momentum more among the Western public rather than their governments. With changing public perceptions come policy changes in the West, which worries Israel.
Israel has been the target of a global boycott campaign aimed at ending its illegal occupation, known as BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions). This campaign has been gaining momentum in the West, and even in the US, especially in universities. The EU decision is certain to galvanise this campaign and give it legitimacy among those who have been viewing it with suspicion.
Israel has said the EU decision is harmful to peace efforts. But the EU doesn’t think so. Rightfully•
A European Union decision to label goods from the Jewish settlements in Palestine has infuriated Israel which is calling the decision ‘anti-Semitic’ that will encourage a boycott campaign against the country. Drawn up over a period of three years by the European Commission, the new guidelines published yesterday say Israeli producers must explicitly label farm goods and other products that come from illegal settlements — settlements in the Palestinian territories and annexed east Jerusalem as well as the Golan Heights, all occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War — if they are sold in the European Union. The EU must be congratulated for this decision, which has come in the face of stiff opposition from Israel and it shows Brussels is charting its own course when it comes to Israel and its aggression unlike US which blindly supports Tel Aviv.
Britain, Belgium and Denmark already affix labels to Israeli goods, differentiating between those from Israel proper and those, like fruits and vegetables, that come from the
Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank. Now, all 28 EU member states would have to apply the same labelling. Brussels calls this decision just a technical issue but Israel has branded it “discriminatory” and damaging to peace efforts with the Palestinians.
More than the economic impact, Israel is worried about the political impact of the decision. The goods in question account for only two to three percent of Israeli exports to the European Union, at an estimated value of $200m per year, according to Israel’s ambassador to the EU, David Walzer. Israeli leaders are calling it discriminatory and ‘anti-Semitic. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu compared it to Nazi-era practices and saying the EU “should be ashamed.” “The labelling of products of the Jewish state by the European Union brings back dark memories,” he said in Washington.
The EU decision is a huge victory for Palestinians and their supporters all over the world and a setback for Israel which has been enjoying immunity for its aggression against Palestinians. The West is increasingly becoming aware of the injustices heaped on Palestinians, an awareness which is gaining momentum more among the Western public rather than their governments. With changing public perceptions come policy changes in the West, which worries Israel.
Israel has been the target of a global boycott campaign aimed at ending its illegal occupation, known as BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions). This campaign has been gaining momentum in the West, and even in the US, especially in universities. The EU decision is certain to galvanise this campaign and give it legitimacy among those who have been viewing it with suspicion.
Israel has said the EU decision is harmful to peace efforts. But the EU doesn’t think so. Rightfully•
