Label Europe anti-Israel

On Wednesday, the European Union is slated to officially announce guidelines mandating the labeling of products from Israeli settlements. This form of economic warfare unfairly targets the Jewish state and lays the foundation for a comprehensive boycott. Put simply, the EU’s punitive act is discriminatory and undercuts the peace process with the Palestinians.

Former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. and current Knesset member Michael Oren put it bluntly last week” “The EU decision to label Israeli products is anti-Semitic.”

To expose the absurdity of the EU sanction — and reciprocate in kind — Oren placed “Made in Europe” stickers on products in an Israeli supermarket.

As he put it: “There are dozens of border disputes and ‘occupations’ in the world, but the EU decided to single out Israel. They are not labeling products from China, India or Turkey — only Israel.”

Eugene Kontorovich, a professor of law at Northwestern University and an expert on the EU’s anti-Israel economic policies, told me the bloc is mandating discriminatory labels on Israeli products at the same time it is actively fighting in court to be able to continue labeling goods from Western Sahara as “Made in Morocco.”

The EU views Western Sahara as not legally part of Morocco — just as it views the West Bank as not part of Israel.

The EU’s anti-Israel policy prompted a strongly worded bipartisan letter from 36 U.S. senators to Federica Mogherini, the EU=’s foreign policy head. In the letter, sent by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Ted Cruz, the lawmakers wrote: “We urge you not to implement this labeling policy, which appears intended to discourage Europeans from purchasing these products and promote a de facto boycott of Israel, a key ally and the only true democracy in the Middle East.”

Putting aside the EU’s singular treatment of Israel, it ought not be lost on us that Europe’s action comes precisely when Palestinians are engaged in a fresh wave of attacks on innocent Israelis.

Sadly, and despite the EU’s wishful thinking, Israel does not have a meaningful partner for peace. The fragmented Palestinian leadership is split between the Gaza Strip, run by the terrorist Hamas party, and the impotent Palestinian Authority — led by its rival Fatah party — in the West Bank. Hamas openly seeks to wipe Israel off the map, and the Palestinian Authority and Fatah continue to call every terrorist a martyr. Even the Obama administration has recently revealed that it recognized the hard truth that a peace deal will not be reached on the President’s watch.

What can be done to stop European product labeling and other sanctions designed to harm Israel’s economy? First, EU countries can replicate the French Court of Cassation’s Oct. 20 ruling that BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) efforts against Israel constitute illegal discrimination, and impose fines on those who “provoke discrimination, hatred or violence toward a person or group of people on grounds of their origin, their belonging or their not belonging to an ethnic group, a nation, a race or a certain religion.”

Second, the United States can ensure that its free trade agreement with the European Union contains a tough provision banning economic warfare against Israel.

Lastly, European politicians, religious leaders and civic organizations need to refocus their energy on countering activity designed to stigmatize Israel. If they are genuinely concerned about reviving the Israel-Palestinian peace process, they should start by redoubling their efforts to confront Palestinian terrorism.

Weinthal is a fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Follow him on Twitter @BenWeinthal.