In response to EU decision to label Israeli settlement products, the prime minister instructed the Foreign Ministry to reevaluate the EU’s involvement in peace efforts with the Palestinians.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the Foreign Ministry on Sunday evening to suspend contacts with European Union representatives regarding the political process with the Palestinians to protest the bloc’s decision to label Israeli exports from the West Bank.
The Foreign Ministry said that Netanyahu had ordered contacts frozen until a “reassessment process is completed.” It did not go into detail as to which institutions are affected.
The move came in response to a decision made by the EU to label “settlement products” produced by Israelis in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.
Prime Minister Netanyahu, right, meets with EU foreign policy chief Mogherini, left (Photo: Amit Shaabi)
Prime Minister Netanyahu, right, meets with EU foreign policy chief Mogherini, left (Photo: Amit Shaabi)
The EU does not recognize the legitimacy of Israel’s presence in the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, territories
captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War. As such, goods from there cannot be labelled “Made in Israel” and should be labelled as coming from settlements, which the EU considers illegal under international law.
The EU says the labeling policy aims to distinguish between goods made inside the internationally accepted borders of Israel and those outside.
Drawn up over three years by the European Commission, the guidelines mean Israeli producers must explicitly label farm goods and cosmetics that come from settlements when they are sold in the European Union. The EU guidelines aren’t expected to necessarily apply to Israeli industrial or electronic products, or to non-fresh foods.
Netanyahu called the decision “hypocritical,” saying it was indicative of a double standard. “The EU has decided to label only Israel, and we are not prepared to accept the fact that Europe is labeling the side that is being attacked by terrorism,” Netanyahu said earlier this month. “The Israeli economy is strong and will withstand this; those who will be hurt will be those Palestinians who work in Israeli factories. The EU should be ashamed.”
Officials at the Foreign Ministry clarified that while Israel continues its diplomatic cooperation with European countries such as Germany, Britain and France, it will not continue working with the European Union itself.
As part of its fight against the EU decision, Israel decided to take measures against 16 European countries: the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Denmark, Ireland, Croatia, Malta, the Netherlands, Sweden, Portugal, Slovenia, Italy, Luxembourg, Austria, Belgium and Finland.
The measures include summoning the ambassadors of the 16 countries to the Foreign Ministry for an official rebuke; and restricting meetings between ambassadors and senior Israeli officials to low-level government staffers.
This will naturally diminish the influence those ambassadors will have in their role. The visits of foreign representatives from the countries concerned will also be restricted, with their meetings unlikely to include time with the prime minister or the president.
Furthermore, the government will be far stricter regarding entry of foreign delegations to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In certain situations, their entry may even be denied.
Israel will also be stricter about which EU projects it permits in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. For the EU, these projects are designed to give them footing and influence in the area.
OUCH! How draconian!!
Unless those rebukes include repeated forays into an Iron Maiden, this is just another amazingly feeble symbolic gesture in response to a very pernicious anti-Semitic provocation. More supine submissiveness from Netanyahu.
why not label all YS products as “made by Jews in Judea Samaria” so that Jews and Israel supporters know which products from Israel to buy first.
My wager is that the suspension is temporary, will only last a few weeks…… that its more of a show to look like he is doing something when nothing was done all the years it was on the books. where is the plan B that should have been planned over the last few years and not put in motion? the euros are not even taking him seriously, I think its just meant for Israelis.
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
I do not need a list. I have been boycotting for years the European products including their wines.
There is a kosher store nearby where they sale good California wines and Israeli wines. Very good I must say.
Hope they choke in their own wine.
@ woolymammoth:INN Arutz 7 Internet published a week or so ago a list.
Please post list of products from The EU to boycott.
How about an Israeli version of Amazon.com. I want to buy as many products possible from Israel at a fair market price. Especially those made in Judea and Samaria.
Act of importance. Needs supplementary activities including but not limited to marking EU products that may be imported.