USA TODAY International Edition
EU draws anger over dropping some ‘ Made in Israel’ labels
Shift on goods made in territories is not political, EU says
The European Union drew Israel’s ire Wednesday after regulators approved guidelines to drop the “Made in Israel” label from merchandise produced in Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories.
The new rules refer to the “origin of goods from the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967,” an EU Commission statement said. That includes East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and the West Bank — areas where the EU considers Israeli settlements to be illegal under international law.
The guidelines call for new labels across the political bloc’s 28 member states that would distinguish whether merchandise or goods — mostly fruit and vegetables — are made in the controversial Jewish settlements. The directive, called an “interpretive notice” by the EU, was announced at a meeting in Brussels.
Israel swiftly condemned the move. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the EU should be “ashamed” of itself and accused the bloc of punishing “the side that is being attacked by terrorism.” Israel’s Foreign Ministry declared the move an “exceptional and discriminatory step.” Later, it announced Israel was suspending ongoing, regular meetings with the EU in protest. Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nachshon said the suspension would likely be temporary, the Associated Press reported.
“It is puzzling and even irritating that the EU chooses to apply a double standard concerning Israel, while ignoring that there are over 200 other territorial disputes worldwide, including those occurring within the EU or on its doorstep. The claim that this is a technical matter is cynical and baseless,” the ministry said in its earlier statement.
The EU said the initiative is “not new legislation; it clarifies certain elements linked to the interpretation and the effective implementation of existing EU legislation.”
EU trade with Israel was valued at about $ 32 billion in 2014, with products made on Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories less than 1% of total trade, the commission said. Some EU nations, such as Belgium, Britain and Denmark, already use labels that distinguish if a product is made in Jewish settlements.
The EU said the labels are not a first step toward sanctions against Israel, and the “indication of origin will give consumers the possibility to make an informed choice.” EU Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said the decision was a purely a “technical one, not a political stance.”
The guidelines nevertheless appear to highlight that the EU is seeking to formally distinguish its policy on how it deals with Israel and its settlements, which Palestinians say are on land that makes up their future state but upon which Israel continues to expand.
Israel summoned the EU’s ambassador after the announcement. Speaking to journalists Tuesday night, Yuvak Steinitz, an Israeli cabinet minister, referred to the expected decision as “disguised anti- Semitism.”
“What you see is really that some people, and here unfortunately some institutions in the European Union, are taking steps against Israel that are unparalleled in similar situations,” Steinitz said.
The Palestine Liberation Organization said the labeling was a “step in the right direction but insufficient,” adding that “products of a war crime must be banned not just labeled.”
“It is puzzling and even irritating that the EU chooses to apply a double standard concerning Israel while ignoring ... other disputes.” Israeli Foreign Ministry