France has informed retailers and importers that goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories must be clearly labeled in compliance with a European Union (EU) resolution issued last year.
According to a notification published on a French government website on Thursday the French step is aimed at enforcing EU regulations with regard to labeling goods from the West Bank including annexed east Jerusalem which the international community considers occupied Palestinian land and the Golan Heights which Israel seized from Syria in 1967.
“Under international law the Golan Heights and the West Bank including east Jerusalem are not part of Israel” the announcement said.
Labeling goods simply as from the West Bank or Golan Heights without more details is “not acceptable” it added.
Goods must be specified as coming from an “Israeli settlement” when that is the case to avoid “the risk of misleading the consumer.”
The French move however drew an angry response from the Israeli government with its foreign ministry condemning it as a step that would encourage the boycott movement against Israel.
“It is unfortunate that France which has a law against boycotts is advancing steps like these which can be interpreted as encouraging radical elements and the boycott movement against Israel” Emmanuel Nahshon Israel’s foreign ministry spokesman said.
“We regret that France in which there is a law against boycotts is advancing steps that could be seen as giving a tail wind to radicals and the boycott movement against Israel” he said adding that “it is inexplicable and troubling that France chooses to apply a double standard when it comes to Israel while ignoring 200 territorial conflicts taking place around the world including those on its very own doorstep.”
Late on Thursday an Israeli official source in Jerusalem attacked France saying that “those who failed to convene an international Middle East peace summit is turning instead to a path of product labeling.”
Israeli settlements are illegal under international law and have been the main obstacle to peace efforts between the Palestinian Authority and Israel.
In November 2015 the EU’s executive body sparked a major diplomatic row with Israel by adopting a motion that effectively declared that products from settlements would have to be labeled explicitly in all member countries as made in settlements.
