"Made in Occupied Palestine" Approved in South Africa, Angers "Israel"
Local Editor
"Israel" and Zionist groups have protested after South Africa's cabinet approved regulations to label goods made in "Israeli" settlements as being from the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
"Israel's" foreign ministry claimed that the requirement was "totally unacceptable and blatant discrimination".
But South Africa said the move conformed with its standing policy.
In May, South African Minister Rob Davies issued an announcement warning merchants "not to incorrectly label products that originate from the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) as products of "Israel"."
He later rejected "with utter contempt" suggestions that there were racial motivations for his move, saying his department was neither seeking to promote a boycott of Israeli goods nor to prevent the entry of such products into South Africa.
Davies asserted, however, that the move was aimed at ensuring that products were correctly labeled so that South African consumers could decide for themselves as to whether they wanted to purchase them.
This comes as pro-Palestinian groups have called for a boycott and sanctions campaign against "Israeli" goods and companies.
South African government spokesman Jimmy Manyi told reporters "This is in line with South Africa's stance that recognizes the 1948 borders delineated by the United Nations and does not recognize occupied territories beyond these borders as being part of "Israel"."
Out of anger, "Israeli" Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said "What is totally unacceptable is the use of tools which, by essence, discriminate and single out, fostering a general boycott."
"Such exclusion and discrimination bring to mind ideas of racist nature which the government of South Africa, more than any other, should have wholly rejected."
In 2009, the European Union ruled that goods made in "Israeli" settlements in the West Bank would no longer be eligible for the preferential trade terms.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org
"Israel" and Zionist groups have protested after South Africa's cabinet approved regulations to label goods made in "Israeli" settlements as being from the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
"Israel's" foreign ministry claimed that the requirement was "totally unacceptable and blatant discrimination".
But South Africa said the move conformed with its standing policy.
In May, South African Minister Rob Davies issued an announcement warning merchants "not to incorrectly label products that originate from the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) as products of "Israel"."
He later rejected "with utter contempt" suggestions that there were racial motivations for his move, saying his department was neither seeking to promote a boycott of Israeli goods nor to prevent the entry of such products into South Africa.
Davies asserted, however, that the move was aimed at ensuring that products were correctly labeled so that South African consumers could decide for themselves as to whether they wanted to purchase them.
This comes as pro-Palestinian groups have called for a boycott and sanctions campaign against "Israeli" goods and companies.
South African government spokesman Jimmy Manyi told reporters "This is in line with South Africa's stance that recognizes the 1948 borders delineated by the United Nations and does not recognize occupied territories beyond these borders as being part of "Israel"."
Out of anger, "Israeli" Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said "What is totally unacceptable is the use of tools which, by essence, discriminate and single out, fostering a general boycott."
"Such exclusion and discrimination bring to mind ideas of racist nature which the government of South Africa, more than any other, should have wholly rejected."
In 2009, the European Union ruled that goods made in "Israeli" settlements in the West Bank would no longer be eligible for the preferential trade terms.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org
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