West Asia

Zionist Israel suspends contact with EU bodies in ‘peace’ process

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Israel has suspended contacts with the European Union (EU) bodies involved in the so-called peace process with the Palestinians following a requirement by the 28-member politico-economic bloc that goods from illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank be labeled.

On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also serves as foreign minister, ordered the ministry to carry out “a reassessment of the involvement of EU bodies in everything that is connected to the diplomatic process with the Palestinians.”

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said Israel will continue to have diplomatic contacts with individual EU countries, such as Germany, Britain and France but not with EU institutions.

On November 11, the European Commission passed new guidelines for mandating the labeling of the products made in the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Under the guidelines, Israeli producers must label farm goods and cosmetics that come from the unlawful settlements constructed in occupied lands if they are to be sold in EU member states.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry censured the move, describing it as an effort to exert pressure on the Tel Aviv regime over its settlement expansion activities. It also summoned the EU ambassador to Israel, Lars Faaborg-Andersen.

“We regret that the EU has chosen, for political reasons, to take such an exceptional and discriminatory step, inspired by the boycott movement,” the statement said, referring to the international movement of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel.

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