European Politicians, Union Leaders Reject Israel Boycott
Thursday, November 14, 2013 | Israel Today Staff
A number of European Union parliamentarians and at least one head of a leading European trade union have openly rejected the continent's recent decision to boycott Israeli "settler goods" and ban deals with Jewish businesses with a presence in Judea and Samaria (the so-called "West Bank").
In July, EU foreign policy chief Catheron Ashton announced new policy guidelines to go into effect on January 1, 2014 that would effectively end all business dealings with Israeli companies that maintained any kind of presence in what are often referred to as the "Jewish settlements."
On Wednesday, a group of 27 EU parliament members sent a letter to Ashton urging her and the European Commission to rethink that decision.
The lawmakers said Ashton must "take all the necessary steps to withdraw the commission guidelines or, at the very least, to come to terms with the government of Israel to ensure that their implementation will reflect the deep bilateral relations between the European Union and Israel and would by no means harm them."
Israel responded angrily to the new EU guidelines, accusing Europe of trying to prejudge the outcome of the peace process. Ostensibly, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process is supposed to decide the future of Judea and Samaria via bilateral negotiations. But, the Palestinians, Europe and America already refer to the entire area as "Palestinian territories," nullifying legal and historical Jewish claims to the biblical heartland.
In addition to the brave showing by the above parliamentarians, German trade union leader Michael Sommer on Sunday said he would take on anyone who tried to boycott Israeli goods, regardless of their origin.
"As long as I am head of this organization, there will never be a resolution that says 'Don’t buy from Jews,'" Sommer declared during the third annual German-Israel Congress in Berlin.
Despite the backlash, an informal boycott is already being practiced by many in Europe. You can help fight back, to turn the boycott into a BUY-COTT! Visit our anti-boycott page now >>
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