World Jewish News

Israel slams French government decision to implement labeling of Israeli products from beyond Green Line

Israel condemned the decision of the French government to implement European Commission directives on labeling Israeli products originating beyond the Green Line.

‘’It’s unfortunate that France, which has a law against boycotts, is advancing steps like these which can be interpreted as giving a tail wind to radical actors and the boycott movement against Israel,” said Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon in a statement.

The statement added : “Furthermore, it is incredible and even worrying that France chose to apply a double standard by making such a law only for Israel, while ignoring over 200 territorial disputes currently ongoing in the world, including those taking place on its threshold.”

Under the new French regulation, in accordance with guidelines on the matter issued by the European Commission in 2015, products from the settlements must be labelled as such, and not as “Made in Israel.”

The French notice says that “under international law the Golan Heights and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are not part of Israel.” So it states that goods from those regions must be marked as such and not as originating from Israel.

The notification states that labeling goods produced in the Israeli settlements as “made in the West Bank” or “made in the Golan Heights” is insufficient because that could “mislead” consumers. It says it is necessary to add, between parenthesis, the words “Israeli settlement” or similar wording. As a result, it urges labels such as “made in the West Bank (Israeli settlement)” or “made in the Golan Heights (Israeli settlement).”

Despite the fact that the Commission called the regulation ‘’technical guidelines’’ on the indication of origin and in no way a boycott, ” the new guidelines infuriated Israel and led it to suspend diplomatic contacts with the EU regarding the Mideast diplomatic process. Jeusalem said they lend support to an international movement calling for a boycott of Israeli goods over its policies toward the Palestinians.

The EU rejected such comparisons. It says the measure is meant to educate consumers about the origins of the products they are buying, and has rejected the international boycott movement against Israel.

It was not immediately clear whether the notice published in the French Official Journal is binding for retailers or a recommendation. A press official with the trade ministry said late Thursday she was not aware of the notification and couldn’t immediately say whether it was mandatory or advisory.

EJP