PLO hails EU guidelines for labeling illegal settlement goods
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has welcomed an EU decision forcing the Tel Aviv regime to label goods made in the illegal Israeli settlements.
On Wednesday, PLO Secretary General Saeb Erekat referred to the decision as a "significant move toward a total boycott of Israeli settlements, which are built illegally on occupied Palestinian lands."
He noted that although the move is a step in the right direction, it is still “insufficient" as "products of a war crime must be banned not just labeled."
"We believe that more actions are necessary to hold Israel accountable for the crimes it continues to commit against the land and people of Palestine," Erekat added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the EU’s decision, labeling it hypocritical and saying that it "focuses only on Israel and not the 200 other conflicts around the world."
He added that the EU “should be ashamed of itself” and that he labeling of Israeli products by the European Union “brings back dark memories.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry also released a statement slamming the move, which it described as an effort to exert pressure on Israel over its settlement activities. It also summoned the EU ambassador to Israel.
"We regret that the EU has chosen, for political reasons, to take such an exceptional and discriminatory step, inspired by the boycott movement," the statement said, referring to the international movement of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS).
Earlier in the day, the European Commission passed new guidelines for labeling the Israeli products.
Under the guidelines, Israeli producers must label farm goods and cosmetics that come from illegal settlements constructed in occupied lands if they are due to be sold in the European Union.
The BDS is a global campaign which uses economic and political pressure on Israel to comply with the goals of the movement -- the end of Israeli occupation and colonization of Palestinian land, full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and respect for the right of return of Palestinian refugees.
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