Years in the making, the European Union has finally adopted its new guidelines regarding the labelling of Israeli products made in the occupied territories of the Palestinian West Bank and the Syrian Golan Heights. For exports coming to the EU, Israel can no longer label products it grows or manufactures there as being “Products of Israel.”
Rather than “product of Israel,” these goods must be labeled with the term “settlement,” or “its equivalent,” the rules say, as in “product of West Bank (Israeli settlement).” Goods from Palestinian-owned businesses can say “product of Palestine” or “product of West Bank (Palestinian product).” NY Times
European officials explained that their citizens have a right to know from where the products originate. Indeed, many citizens demand it. The UK established labelling of settlement goods three years ago. Two years ago, the EU delayed adopting these guidelines at the request of the United States, while “peace negotiations” were underway. When it became clear that Benjamin Netanyahu had no intention of allowing a Palestinian state to exist, pressure mounted. In April, France, Britain, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Malta, Austria, Ireland, Portugal, Slovenia, Hungary, Finland, Denmark, The Netherlands and Luxembourg sent a letter petitioning the EU to look at adopting the guidelines again. Today’s announcement is the result.
While the EU is Israel’s largest trading partner, the new guidelines are not expected to put much of a dent in Israel’s economy.
The initial economic impact of this move will be slight. According to the Yahoo article linked above, the squatter economy, based on stealing Palestinian land and resources and suppressing Palestinian economic activity, comes to $200 – $300 million a year, and about a third of it goes to the EU, i.e. $70 – $100 million a year. Europeans are likely to cut back such buying by 50% for a loss of up to $50 million. That seems minor given Israeli trade with Europe is $30 bn. a year.
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Juan Cole continues,
But it is actually a big deal. First of all, a loss of 1/6 to 1/4 of trade would put a damper of squatter commerce.
But the principle the EU is establishing is more important. That is, there is a difference between commercial enterprises in Israel proper and those in the Occupied territories.
But many Israeli companies have a subsidiary in the West Bank. How do you separate out legitimate and illegitimate companies if this is true?
Perhaps that’s why Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials (predictably) compared this move to the Holocaust and said it encourages terror, invoking “antisemitism,” yellow stars of David, “insanity,” and “hypocrisy.”
Palestinian leaders welcomed the move, saying:
Settlement-based businesses “make products with stolen natural resources on the land of the Palestinian people,” Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in a statement. “Those products should not only be labeled, but should be banned.”