ECJ ruling on Israeli foodstuffs prompts outcry
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that all food products made in Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory must carry special labels saying where they were made.
“Foodstuffs originating in the territories occupied by the State of Israel must bear the indication of their territory of origin, accompanied, where those foodstuffs come from an Israeli settlement within that territory, by the indication of that provenance,” the ECJ said.
It added that without such labelling, “consumers have no way of knowing, in the absence of any information capable of enlightening them in that respect.”
The decision provoked an angry response from pro-Israel lobbyists.
“The circumstances surrounding the labelling requirement in the specific facts presented to the ECJ are suggestive of anti-Israel bias,” said the US State Department spokeswoman. The Israeli government said it viewed the measure as a form of boycott.
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