Members of Parliament, British activists and pro-Arab lobby groups have welcomed the long-awaited British government decision to crack down on all food products from Israeli colonies in the Arab occupied territories, illegally labelled when they enter British and other European markets as 'Made in Israel'.
The United Kingdom warned British importers of food and merchandise from Israel that henceforth they would be required to pay a tax on all goods not originating in Israel, that is the colonies which are considered by United Nations as illegal.
The decision was announced by John Healey, economic secretary of the treasury, in a statement released in the House of Commons. He said that the agreement between Israel and the European Union to provide zero duty on Israeli products "does not extend to goods originating in territories occupied during the 1967 war, including Gaza and the West Bank."
Healey told Members of Parliament that zero-rating may be denied "where there is reasonable doubt as to entitlement."
Israel has not denied certifying goods from the West Bank as Israeli and will still be able to export goods produced in colonies, but they will not be eligible for the special rates of duty.
British supermarkets have been told that they must clearly identify produce on sale from the illegal Jewish colonies of the West Bank and Gaza.
A number of Members of Parliament, contacted by Gulf News, welcomed the decision and said that it has been long-overdue. The statements reaffirms the government position that the colonies in the occupied territories are illegal.
The Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding (Caabu), a pro-Arab lobby group, has campaigned long and hard to try ensure that the British government and EU partners take action against what is clearly customs fraud.
Products from the colonies are imported as Israeli goods under the EU-Israel Association Agreement, getting preferential tariffs to which they are not entitled to.
Caabu has also campaigned hard against retailers who are selling these illegal colony products, which resulted last year in one of the largest superstore Selfridges, removing these products from their shelves for a time.
Chris Doyle, Caabu Director, commenting on this decision to Gulf News, stated "This is a welcome decision, if long overdue given that this fraud has been known about for years. Caabu itself provided evidence to the EU Commission."
"We believe that this should only be a part of the process of trying to ensure that Israel does not continue to violate United Nations Security Council Resolutions and the Fourth Geneva Convention," Doyle said.
"The mass expansion of these colonies built on Palestinian land represents one of the single major obstacles to peace," he added.
As a result of Caabu campaign last year, the British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs told British importers that cherry tomatoes, baby potatoes, avocados, fruit juice and flowers from the illegal outposts could no longer be sold under the "Produce of Israel" label.
"Produce from these occupied territories ought not to be labelled 'Produce of Israel', because the territories are not recognised as part of Israel," the Department's statement added.
The latest development is thought by many in London as "largely symbolic". The value of exports from the colonies to the whole of the EU amounts to 20 million euros (13 million).
Nevertheless, the decision has dismayed the Israeli authorities, because it comes at a time of increasing sensitivity about Israel's isolation in the international community.
As far as Israel is concerned, the Palestinian uprising is a war of words as much as of weapons, and there is deep unease about the boycott of Israeli academics and goods from Israel proper by Palestinian Solidarity Campaig-ners, Caabu and similar pro-Arab groups in Britain.
Gulf News
