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> From http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,750538,00.html > > > Israel stung by imports ruling > > Suzanne Goldenberg in Jerusalem > Saturday July 6, 2002 > The Guardian > > British supermarkets have been told that they must clearly identify produce on > sale > from the illegal Jewish settlements of the West Bank and Gaza. > > The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said yesterday that it > told > importers last week that cherry tomatoes, baby potatoes, avocados, fruit juice > and > flowers grown in the illegal outposts could no longer be sold under the > "Produce of > Israel" label. > > "Supermarket customers over here raised questions about produce with > supermarkets, who raised it with us," it said. > > "Produce from these occupied territories ought not to be labelled 'Produce of > Israel', > because the territories are not recognised as part of Israel." > > The directive is largely symbolic. The value of exports from the settlements > to the > whole of the EU amounts to �20m (�13m) . > > Nevertheless, the decision has dismayed the Israeli authorities, because it > comes at > a time of increasing sensitivity about Israel's isolation in the international > community. > > As far as Israel is concerned, the Palestinian uprising is a war of words as > much as > of weapons, and there is deep unease about the boycott of Israeli academics > and > goods from Israel proper by Palestinian solidarity campaigners in Britain. > > The foreign ministry said Israel was still considering its response. But the > newspaper > Ha'aretz reported that embassy officials were stunned by the directive and had > complained that it was unfair and discriminatory. > > Israeli peace activists, who have urged their fellow citizens to boycott > settlement > produce, welcomed the directive. > > "This is a very important step because this, in fact, is the crux of the > issue," said > Adam Keller, of Gush Shalom. > > "The issue is very simple: are these territories inside Israel, or are they > not part of > Israel?" > > The EU has stiffened its rules of origin, which means goods from the > settlements will > be subject to customs duty, unlike exports from Israel proper. > > Guardian Unlimited � Guardian Newspapers Limited 2002 --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
