"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." — Genesis 12:3
"Fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished. —Jeremiah 46:28
Article Source: ZeroHedge
Submitted By: Pat
In a controversial new landmark ruling that has enraged and frustrated Israeli leaders, Europe’s top court has ordered that all goods produced by Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights be labeled as such.
Specifically the European Court of Justice decision on Tuesday forbids any products from settlements to be labeled simply as “made in Israel”; instead, they must have a “clear and non-misleading indication of origin” in line with the EU’s consumer policy, as stated by an EU official communicating the ruling to Tel Aviv.
Activists who have for years campaigned against illegal Israeli settlement expansion into the West Bank have hailed it as a victory, and as taking the European public a step closer to recognizing Israel as an ‘apartheid state’ akin to South Africa’s recent history. West Bank settlement file image.
The EU’s highest court said in a press release:
“Foodstuffs originating in the territories occupied by the State of Israel must bear the indication of their territory of origin, accompanied, where those foodstuffs come from an Israeli settlement within that territory, by the indication of that provenance.”
The court ruled further that “Israel is present in the territories concerned as an occupying power and not as a sovereign entity.”
The ruling follows prior 2015 guidelines mandated by the EU for member states to require especially labeling goods from settlements, but which not all followed. This also led to lawsuits where it was enacted, such as in France, brought by Israeli businessmen who sought to get the policy thrown out.
This week’s ruling was in response to these legal actions and lack of uniformity across the EU in implementing and enforcing the prior policy. Pro-BDS sign painted on a wall in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, via AFP/Getty.
A spokeswoman at the EU embassy in Tel Aviv said, “The EU has a longstanding and well-known position that it will not recognize any changes to pre-1967 Israeli borders other than those agreed by the parties to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
But she also emphasized this wasn’t an attempt at endorsing “any form of boycott or sanctions against Israel” — in reference to the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Israeli leaders have sought to fiercely push back, given it will have a big impact on Israeli trade with the EU, and could also negatively affect US trade with Europe. Israeli winemaker Psagot, based in the West Bank, will have to carry a special label in EU countries. Image via the Jewish Chronicle.
They’ve urged the White House and Congress to pressure the EU not to implement the label ruling, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally urging Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin to put the issue front and center.
Several US Senators have also reportedly gotten involved, according to Axios, sending letters to the EU’s ambassador in Washington and US trade representative Robert Lighthizer, pressuring them to ignore the ruling.
