14 EU countries in favor of banning settlements products

Ted Belman. I don’t see the EU cutting funding to the PA anytime soon. But if they did, it would force Netanyahu to do something. This could be a good thing.

European Union says more countries interested in implementing boycott on products manufactured in settlements. If peace talks fail, EU financial aid to PA might be cut

Elior Levy, YNET

A source with the European Union said on Tuesday that if negotiation between Israelis and Palestinians do not yield an agreement, the EU’s ties with both the Palestinian Authority andIsrael may suffer.

According to the source, if the peace talks fail, the EU might discontinue its annual donations to the Palestinian Authority and expand its ban of Israeli products manufactured in the West Bank.

The issue of marking products manufactured in Israeli settlements has spread across Europe, as 14 EU states, including Britain and France, have noted they would be willing to mark products of Israeli settlements. Until recently, only two countries were in favor of boycotting settlements products. 

The source told Israeli reporters in Brussels that over the past years, the EU has donated some €300 million a year to the PA in the purpose of promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state. If the current round of talks does not lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state, the source noted, the EU’s financial aid will be called into question.

The source added that the union was considering cutting the funding earlier this year but decided to delay the decision when peace talks began, awaiting diplomatic resolution.

If the EU‘s financial aid to the PA is cut, it would not only affect the Palestinian Authority, but also Israel, which may be faced with a weakening of underfunded PA security forces.

December 4, 2013 | 10 Comments »

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  1. I believe 14 EU countries voted to support the boycott. So Israel should boycott those 14 countries and demand that none of it brilliant technological advances, nor any of the 600 million Euros advanced by Israel, could be sent to or used in those countries. Tit for tat. F*ck ’em.

  2. @ XLucid:

    “…’The agreement fully respects the EU’s financial requirements while at the same time respecting Israel’s political sensitivities and preserving its principled positions,’ said a joint statement by EU High Commissioner Catherine Ashton and Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni. […]”

    How can the agreement be said to “preserve [Israel’s] principled positions” as long it contains language like THIS?:

    “Israeli companies and organizations that have operations on occupied land…”

  3. This article appears in CORDIS NEWS: Israel will take part in Horizon 2020

    “Israel and the EU have come to a decisive agreement guaranteeing the former’s eligibility to Horizon 2020 funding. After months of intense negotiations, Israel finally accepted the EU’s terms according to which participants operating in Jewish settlements will not be allowed to apply for funding. […]

    ‘Both sides understand that the other side has a different position on the politics, but there is an understanding that there is a mutual interest to cooperate in the issues of science and technologies,’ an Israeli official said. The EU prohibition of funds for groups in occupied territories will be referenced in an appendix to the deal, while Israel will add its own appendix stating it does not recognize the new guidelines. Israeli companies and organizations that have operations on occupied land will be able to request funds, provided that the money does not cross the pre-1967 border.

    ‘The agreement fully respects the EU’s financial requirements while at the same time respecting Israel’s political sensitivities and preserving its principled positions,’ said a joint statement by EU High Commissioner Catherine Ashton and Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni. […]

  4. I don’t understand this capitulation.Europe will continue to diferrentiate between the east and west of the greenline. Only products and produce from east of the greenline will be boycotted. also no part of the 900 million Euros can be spent there. But it will all be spent west of the greenline.

    Israel must also anti up 600 million Euros for the programme. Can any of that be spent east of the green line?
    Reporting of this deal has been pisspoor. If anyone has a better understanding or link please share.

    Was it done to appease our left wing academia who want to continue to be welcome in Europe?

    Could we not have replaced Europe with India without having to concede anything?

    Please help me out here.

  5. Did I not read recently that billions of dollars in EU aid to the PA seems to have ended up in a few people’s Swiss bank accounts (that’s an intended exaggeration on my part, but I believe an awful lot of money could not be accounted for)? It means nothing to the BDS and nations that boycott commerce with the disputed territories how many Palestinians are going to lose their jobs over it.

  6. Exactly how much does Israel need the European market?

    I realize the EU has been a major trading partner till now

    — but surely there are other fish in the sea; no?

  7. @ Ted Belman:
    They are sticking it to the Jews and they will continue to stick it to the Jews until their efforts are no longer required… Then the blood will flow…

  8. They won’t stick it to the Jews.

    As I told Yamit, how far will Europe go to uphold its principles when the day comes they need Israel more than Israel needs them?

    On that question, the jury is still out.