The European Union has formally recommended its 27 member states “prevent” Israeli activity in Judea and Samaria through an economic boycott of Jewish communities in those regions.
The EU’s latest boycott recommendation came to light in the publication of the EU’s Jerusalem Report 2012, released Wednesday, in which the European body recommends its members avoid financial transactions with Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, AFP reported.
In the report, the EU suggests its member states “prevent, discourage and raise awareness about problematic implications of financial transactions, including foreign direct investments from within the EU in support of settlement activities, infrastructure and services.” The recommendation followed an internal report which alleged that Israel had used construction in eastern Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria to prevent the possibility of a two-state solution.
In the strongly-worded 15-page report, the EU also calls to “ensure that imports of settlement products do not benefit from preferential tariffs” and make sure that all such products are clearly labelled as originating from Israeli-occupied areas.”
The move comes as a clear statement of support for the Palestinian Authority’s attempt to oust some half a million Jews from their homes, and claim the entire area for its hoped-for independent, sovereign state without bothering with final status negotiations with Israel. This ignores the fact that by any legal parameter, Israel is not “occupying” the area, which belongs to no sovereign state.
A successful first step in that process was made at the United Nations last September when the PA won an upgraded status via the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as a non-member observer state. The move gained for the PA de facto recognition as a sovereign country by the international body, and helped circumvent the need for final status talks with Israel on a myriad of issues, as mandated by the internationally-recognized Oslo Accords.
The Palestinian Authority – and much of the international community – defines “settlement activity – in very broad terms, sometimes as broad as repairing a broken fence for a private home in an existing community, or paving a driveway. “Settlement construction” is a term defined equally loosely, and includes such activities as adding a pergola to an existing front or back porch or patio, or even enclosing an existing balcony on a home in a community that numbers at least 25,000 residents and has existed for more than 35 years.
However, despite Israel’s willingness to negotiate, PA leaders refuse to engage in talks without preconditions, and each time negotiations have been suggested, they have categorically rejected any attempt to jumpstart the process unless Israel first agrees to all PA demands — primary among them, a complete halt to all “settlement activities,” the “right of return” for more than five million foreign Arabs who once lived in the area and their generations of descendants, and the surrender of nearly half of Israel’s holy capital city, Jerusalem, for use as the future capital of the hoped-for PA state of “Palestine.”
At present, the twin capitals of the Palestinian Authority are the Samaria-based city of Ramallah, and Gaza-based city of Gaza City, inasmuch as the two leading factions of the PA, Fatah and Hamas, have yet to even reach an agreement on creating a unity government.
IL can’t give into blackmail to the benefit of barbarians. When time comes IL may need to use the energy weapon to neutralize European antisemites. Forty years ago the Arabs used the oil weapon to try to destroy IL.
@ Laura:
Laura, I love it.
You never cease to sugar coat it.
Listen the Israeli leadership needs to express this likewise to the EU.
What a crock of sh_t.
Better still apply this to the whole Arab world.
Anti-Semitism written all over it.
If the leaders of Israel had any balls they would respond to the Euro Nazis latest persecution of Jews by 1. Emphasizing there are no “settlements “ since by international law Jews have as much right to live in Judea and Samaria as Surrender monkeys (French) have to live in any part of France etc. 2. World Jewry excluding that part which is suffering from the Oslo Syndrome (Jews who believe kissing the behinds of their persecutors will stop persecution of Jews) , plus friends of Israel such as fundamentalist Christians to boycott products from the Euro Nazis countries . 3 In the US blacks have literally gotten away with murder by playing the “race card”. All European nations have Jewish blood on their hands. Israel and world Jewry should learn from the masters of playing on any feelings of guilt (American Blacks) and begin to play “anti-Semitism card”. For example, demand reparations from the UK for being an accessory to murder when they violated international law by preventing massive immigration of European Jewry to the Jewish National Homeland. The Palestine Mandate required the Island Nazis to facilitate massive Jewish immigration. When they did the opposite they directly caused the murder of millions of Jews. Only after it became clear to the Nazis that massive Jewish immigration from European was not feasible did they decide on the “Final solution”. I would especially point out such despicable behavior by the Brits as sinking ships loaded with survivors of the holocaust and hammer away at such vile behavior as the British Foreign secretary’s response to Himmler’s offer to negotiate the freedom of Hungarian Jews in 1944. It has been documented in several books I’ve read that the vile snake Anthony (Adolf) Eden actually said in private (I’m paraphrasing), Europe would be better off if the 700-800,000 Hungarian Jews were dead. Blacks enjoy the most undeserved, outrageous special treatment and privileges in the US and increasing in the UK, because they are masters at relentlessly pointing out how whites in the past persecuted blacks. There are what I called professional race mongers such as the despicable Al Sharpton and the most successful race monger of all time Jesse Jackson. Jackson although a despicable anti-Semite, is the Picasso of race mongering. Jews both within Israel and in the Diaspora should learn as much as possible from American Blacks who relentlessly vilify whites especially white males as a direct strategy gain special privileges. Obama would not be polluting the White House with his presence if not for decades of relentless hammer of white for what happened in past. There is a difference. Blacks are treated better than whites in the US. This boycott by the Euro Nazis actually is just the continuation of millennia of persecution of Jews. It is time to stop using the usual (Oslo Syndrome) response like offering the trespassing Fakestinian baby murderers part of the Jewish National Homeland when any rational person knows these vile people will never accept any Jews living in the Middle East.
F the EU.
yamit82 Said:
European anti-Semites feel they haven’t found Israel’s breaking point yet. Still you have to wonder why all the hysteria and hate in the EU against Israel when its perfectly clear that Netanyahu will do nothing to change the status quo. The EU would like to change it to favor the Arabs.
The EU already has a sort of boycott of goods made in the territories? They do not get the tariff breaks goods made inside of the green line What’s new here?
European anti-Semitism and hatred of the Jewish State increases by leaps and bounds.
But Israel’s pusillanimous government can’t say “NO” to European interference in Israel’s domestic affairs.