An Israeli cabinet minister called the EU plan to label products from Jewish settlements as ‘’disguised anti-semitism.’’

Yuval Steinitz, National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources Minister, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Steinitz, spoke Tuesday on the eve of the expected announcement by the European Comission of a decision on whether to require labeling on all products imported from settlements in the occupied West Bank, east Jerusalem and Golan Heights.

"What you see is really that some people, and here unfortunately some institutions in the European Union, are taking steps against Israel that are unparallelled in similar situations," Steinitz told journalists.

"So we cannot conceive it but as some disguised anti-Semitism."

He accused the EU of unfairly singling out Israel when it has not taken similar action toward products made in areas like Chinese-controlled Tibet or Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus.

The European Commission has been working for months on implementing a plan first mooted in 2012. It is due to issue instructions to food and other industries, including potentially specifying the wording to be used on labels.

The EU already bars goods made in settlements from receiving customs exemptions given to goods made inside Israel under the Free Trade Agreement.

Israel says labeling settlement products is tantamount to a boycott, while the EU insists it is merely ‘’technical’’ and providing customers with information about the origin of the products.

Israel says moves like the labeling plan encourage the Palestinians to take hard-line positions and avoid negotiations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin reportedly wrote a strongly worded letter to European parliament president Martin Schulz in which he voiced concerns over a the EU labeling move.

Netanyahu said the plan was “discriminatory” and “emboldening” those who seek to “eliminate Israel”.

Thousands of Palestinians working in industrial zones in the West Bank might lose their jobs because of the EU measure.

by Yossi Lempkowicz