The European Union is attempting to require specialized labeling of Israeli goods made in disputed territories — products exported from Israeli settlements in locations such as the West Bank. The at-times complicated set of regulations instituted by the EU’s governing structures has caused fresh tumult in the region, mostly recently Saturday in Germany, with some commentators complaining of anti-Semitism, as well as grim reminders of the 1930s and 1940s.
In its “Imperative Notice” on the matter, first published Nov. 11, the European Commission stated, “The European Union, in line with international law, does not recognise Israel’s sovereignty over the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967, namely the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank … and does not consider them to be part of Israel’s territory, irrespective of their legal status under domestic Israeli law.”
Saturday’s incident broke out in Bremen. Protesters appeared to be going to stores to ensure that products manufactured in Israeli settlements are in fact labeled as such.
Some observers were mortified.
Thanks to EU product labels: Today Germans in Bremen are inspecting Israeli products for boycott. In Berlin BDS protest at department store
— Benjamin Weinthal (@BenWeinthal) November 28, 2015
Photos via @yadvashem and @aufmacher of Germans making sure Jewish-made products get labeled. 1930s + Nov 28, 2015 pic.twitter.com/0ifI2J0DQm
— Omri Ceren (@omriceren) November 28, 2015
Nov 28 2015 – Germans marching on stores to enforce labeling of products made by West Bank Jews (via @aufmacher) pic.twitter.com/QYvxVmRPyT
— Omri Ceren (@omriceren) November 28, 2015
The commission’s ruling seems to be made within the broader goal in the EU of labeling countries of origins for all products. However, since the commission does recognize the West Bank, etc., as part of Israel, labeling product from there would be misleading in their view.
The commission’s notice continues, “When the indication of origin of the product in question is explicitly required by the relevant provisions of Union law, it must be correct and not misleading for the consumer,” adding, “Since the Golan Heights and the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) are not part of the Israeli territory according to international law, the indication ‘product from Israel’ is considered to be incorrect and misleading.”
