US Senators Speak Out on EU Labeling of Israeli Goods
JERUSALEM, Israel Three dozen U.S. senators co-signed a letter to current E.U. foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini criticizing the decision to label Israeli products manufactured or grown outside the 1948 armistice lines.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the pending practice elicits "historical memory of what happened when Europeans labeled Jewish products," referring to the years leading up to the Nazi genocide of World War II.
"As allies, elected representatives of the American people and strong supporters of Israel, we urge you not to implement this labeling policy, which appears intended to discourage Europeans from purchasing these (Israeli) products and promote a de-facto boycott of Israel," the letter read, the Israeli daily YNet reported.
The letter went on to say labeling Israeli products "play[s] into the narrative of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which is an effort to delegitimize Israel rather than promote a resolution of outstanding issues between Israel and the Palestinians."
In a veiled warning, the senators implied the practice could affect U.S.-E.U. negotiations to cancel customs taxes, an issue the European Union is interested in.
Critics say labeling Israeli products will put thousands of Palestinian Arabs out of work, while rewarding terrorism and encouraging the BDS movement.
Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely traveled to several European capitals this week to discuss the implications of labeling Israeli products with E.U. officials.
"As far as we're concerned, all of Israel faces the threat of boycott," Hotovely said during a visit last week to the industrial park at Barkan in southern Samaria.
