Goods from West Bank settlements to be labeled “Made in Israel,” Pompeo says
Jerusalem (QNN)- After visiting a winery in the illegal Israeli settlement of Psagot in the West Bank, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a new policy of allowing products from the settlements to be labeled as ‘made in Israel.’
Lately, a group of four Senate Republicans, Sens. Tom Cotton, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Kelly Loeffler, sent a letter to US President Donald Trump, urging him to allow Israeli goods produced in the West Bank to be labeled ‘Made in Israel.’
ICYMI: I joined my colleagues @SenTomCotton, @MarcoRubio, and @SenatorLoeffler in sending a letter urging POTUS to issue an EO ending any discriminatory labeling of goods produced anywhere across Israel’s territories.https://t.co/E62hdWyOFb
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) November 18, 2020
“We write to urge you to change U.S. customs policy and guidelines to allow Israeli goods
produced in Judea and Samaria to be labeled “Made in Israel,” Republicans said in the letter.
Pompeo said the new policy recognizes that producers in the settlements operate within the economic and administrative framework of Israel. They will be required to mark goods as “made in Israel” when exporting to the United States.
He also added that products made in territory under the control of the Palestinian Authority will be recognized as products of the “West Bank” and a separate label would be given to products ‘made in Gaza.’
“Under the new approach, we will no longer accept ‘West Bank/Gaza’ or similar markings, in recognition that Gaza and the West Bank are politically and administratively separate and should be treated accordingly,” Pompeo stated.
Enjoyed lunch at the scenic Psagot Winery today. Unfortunately, Psagot and other businesses have been targeted by pernicious EU labeling efforts that facilitate the boycott of Israeli companies. The U.S. stands with Israel and will not tolerate any form of delegitimization. pic.twitter.com/7jo2TazehH
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) November 19, 2020
This step came afte Mike Pompeo declared that the US will label the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign as “anti-Semitic,” in a joint press with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Thursday.
