• Appeals for support
• Forthcoming events
• Records of past JfJfP activities
• Signatories
• About JFJFP
• Understanding the conflict
• News/latest
• Student JfJfP
• Related Organisations
• Protesting to government officials
• Contacting the media
  
  
• Search

Understanding the conflict

The Campaign Against Settlement Goods

JfJfP as such takes no position on the question of sanctions and boycotts, but European Jews for a Just Peace, to which we are affiliated, has called both for the suspension of the EU-israel Association Agreement, which accords special trade privileges to Israel, and for a boycott of settlement goods.

A: Gush Shalom has long run a campaign for the boycott of settlement goods.
It provides answers to a list of Frequently Asked Questions viz:

1. Isn't Imposing An Economic Boycott Over A Group Of Citizens An Anti-Democratic Act?
2. Isn't Boycotting The Settlements Similar To The Nazis' Boycott On The Jews?
3. Examples?
4. How Do The Settlers Obstruct The Peace Process?
5. Aren't These Generalizations?
6. Didn't Many Of Them Settle On State Lands, Property Of The Government Of Israel?
7. Why Can't Jews Live In Palestinian Territory, Just As The Arab Citizens Live In The State Of Israel?
8. Doesn't The Call For Boycott Express Hate For The Settlers?
9. Won't The Boycott Harm The Palestinian Laborers Currently Employed At The Settlements Industries?
10. What's The Difference Between Ramla And Ram'alla? The Kibbutzim, Moshavim And Towns In Israel Inside The Green Line Are Also Sitting On Land Which Used To Be Arab?
11. Don't You See Any Difference between Judea and Samaria settlers and Golan Heights Settlers?
12. How Can An Economic Boycott Help to Achieve Peace?

and finally

13. How Can I Contribute To The Success Of The National Boycott?

Here are its answers:
* Download the list and when you do your shopping, Look at the product label to find out its origin. Reject any product made in a settlement. Prefer any other Israeli-made product, even if its price is slightly higher or its quality slightly lower.
* When in doubt, ask the store manager, preferably in a loud voice.
* Draw the attention of other shoppers, as well as that of friends, neighbors and other acquaintances, to products made in settlements, and explain the issue to them.
* Get a list of settlement-made products from the campaign headquarters (address listed below), make photocopies and distribute the list as much as possible.
* Identify additional settlement-made products and send us the details so we can update the list. If possible, enclose the labels too, for documentation.

B: Guide to Settlement Wines

C: Mislabeling of goods in the UK, November 2008

a) Britain to crack down on exports from Israeli settlements
By Donald Macintyre in Jerusalem Monday, 3 November 2008

Britain is taking the lead in pressing the EU to curb imports from Israeli producers in the occupied West Bank as a practical step towards halting the steady increase in the construction of Jewish settlements.
 
b) ‘Concern over Israel settlement exports
A BBC Report by Tim Franks, November 5th 

British customs officials are "strongly concerned" that Israeli-produced goods made in settlements on the occupied West Bank may be circumventing import taxes en-route to British high streets, the BBC's Tim Franks learns.

c) U.K. plan to label West Bank goods is 'exaggerated'
Ha'aretz, 16 November 2008
 
'...Miliband arrived in Israel on Sunday, where he met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Livni, for a two-day visit aimed at advancing Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
A senior official in Jerusalem described the talks as "not simple," and said that in addition to dissonance over the state of settlements, the two also butted heads on the issues of Syria and the indictment being handed by Britain to Israeli defense officials...
Miliband was expected during his visit to express strong opposition to settlement in the West Bank and to press European partners for tighter control of imports to the European Union from the settlements.
Some of these imports are admitted at European ports as the produce of Israel and therefore enjoy tariff benefits under an Israel-EU treaty, British officials said...
European diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity as a fresh economic offensive on the West Bank settlements has not been officially approved, said Miliband has been trying to muster support in Brussels for tougher implementation of existing customs regulations in the hope that settlements, a core issue in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, could be placed under a siege that could help hasten their dismantlement. 

d) A single-page 'non-Paper' [i.e. unofficial] prepared by UK officials has been circulated.
 
Extracts:
 
'The UK is looking at practical steps that could be of interest to Member states and the Commission, We are particularly focused on goods from settlements, and are keen to look at how UK and Commission policies can avoid inadvertently supporting or encouraging settlement activity...This non-paper suggets some actions that the EU might consider by way of further activity aimed at curbing settlement building...
There are two key issues:
1. Customs: We are concerned that settlement goods may be entering the UK without paying sufficient duty, by illegally using the preferential trade arrangements under he Association Agreement between the EU and Israel...
2. Customers should be empowered to make informed choices regarding goods from settlements...
 

D: Charles Shamas from Ramallah participated in a meeting at the Amos Trust to discuss the campaign against settlement products.
A report of the meeting by Diana Neslen is available here.