Israeli Group Accuses U.S. of Labeling Settlement Products

RAJESH JANTILAL/AFP/Getty Images
RAJESH JANTILAL/AFP/Getty Images

The Times of Israel reports:

An Israeli television report on Tuesday night alleged that a newly enforced US Customs policy to label products from the West Bank was not merely a technicality, but an “under the radar” US government policy change with regard to the settlements.

Last month, Washington issued a reminder that products imported from the West Bank or Gaza Strip should not be labeled “Made in Israel,” in accordance with a 1995 law. The reminder prompted debate after media reports suggested Washington was hardening its stance against Israeli settlement activity, a claim that US officials denied.

But, according to a Channel 2 report that cited the Israeli group The Legal Forum for Israel, the original legislation was designed solely to apply to Palestinian products manufactured in areas under Palestinian control.

The “very, very strange and unusual” reminder to enforce the policy “means that for 20 years, the US Customs made a mistake or misinterpreted the directive,” the TV report said. “That’s very uncharacteristic for the Americans.”

Read the full story here.

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