What Diplomatic Mission In The EU & US Speaks For Israel's Settlements?
If you say the West Bank and Golan are not part of Israel, than to who is it part of? Does it have its own trade mission in the EU,US or a seat at the UN? What nation is responsible for people living there? What is the name of the ambassador that represents the West Bank to the EU? What currency does it use? To whom do they pay their taxes? What is their national flag? Do they issue their own postage stamps?
US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. “And as you know, we do not consider settlements to be part of Israel. We do not view labeling the origin of products as being from the settlements as a boycott of Israel.” So, what are these labels attended for? If the Settlements are not part of Israel, than to whom are they part of?
“We understand the objective is to provide EU consumers correct information on the origin of products, as required by EU law,” Toner said. “The EU has made clear that measures are not a boycott, and the EU has also made very clear that they oppose boycotts against Israel. EU guidelines for products that are sold in EU countries are for the EU to determine.” So, just what is it the EU is saying? I am not quite sure I understand what this policy is intended to accomplish, how any good will be accomplish or accomplish anything at all.
“American laws for Israeli settlement exports are somewhat similar,” Toner said. “They must be marked as products of the West Bank.” Though the U.S. does not differentiate between goods from settlements and those coming from elsewhere in the territory. In new instructions on marking requirements sent out to American importers, goods from Judea and Samaria are not to be marked “Israel.” Those who do not comply are to be sanctioned. So, define the West Bank, is it no mans land, are the settlers without a nation?
Today, 600,000 Israelis live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, 10 percent of the country’s Jewish population. To whom are these Israels citizens of, to whom do they pay their taxes, and who provides civic services for them? If the answer to all these questions is Israel, than just what does Israels government have to do to make this clear, understood and leave no doubt, that all the land west of the Jordan River, by law is Israel and to be able to put this issue to rest?
The economic impact of the EU step is minimal. While the EU is Israel’s largest trade partner, settlement products account for less than 2 percent of Israel’s 13 billion euro, $14 billion exports to Europe each year. So, just what is it the EU wants to accomplish? Goods imported to the US from Israeli settlements totaled some $22.7 billion last year. Israel has a $305.7 Billion economy, a 2.6% growth, with a GDP $38,004 equal to that of most EU nations. Palestinian officials estimate that settlers sell goods worth some $500 million to the Palestinian market each year, many made by the Palestinians themselves as they are employed in these settlements, without any obsession to where these goods are coming from.
Once implemented, European consumers will be able to read on the label of most products, including agricultural goods, olive oil, cosmetics and wines, if they were produced in Israeli settlements. Although such products will not be banned, the labels is nothing short of a political stigma and could lead to a fuller boycott, Anti Semitic attacks and violence against Jews not only in Europe but at home as well.
The name West Bank is given to the territory west of the Jordan River, in reference from the 1920 British mandate of Palestine. In 1922 The British partitioned Palestine into two, dividing East from West of the Jordan River. The “East Bank” for an Arab State, Jordan and the “ West Bank” for a Jewish State, Israel. Today all of Israel sits in the West Bank.
The 1920 San Remo agreement incorporated the Balfour Declaration of 1917. It and Article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations were the basic documents upon which the British Mandate for Palestine was constructed. The West Bank area, was conquered by Jordan during the 1948-49 war with the new state of Israel. In 1947, the UN partition plan for Palestine, which the EU and the US hold as legal, was never set into law, it was a non binding recommended partition of the British Mandate, never ratified and never accepted by the Arab states. Israel lost this land in its 1948-49 war. The 1949 Armistice Agreement lines were not defined as International borders, they are only armistice lines.
The EU and the US are dependent on many Israeli goods and services from Israel, and we should have a reciprocal policy to obtain these and for their imports to us as well. Israel must extend “Israeli Law” throughout Judea and Samaria. It must eliminate all the devices against us on this issue. It must replace Abbas and the PLO. The PA is an autonomous region in Israel. We must help all those that do not wish to live with us in a Jewish State to leave. Israel has to put this issue to rest. It is the front runner for violence, hatred, murderous attacks and anti Semitic assaults today, worldwide. This cannot go on forever. We must do whatever it is, we have to do to end this. Whatever it is, just do it. The world cannot be anymore discontent with us than they are now. This is only another attempt by the EU, US and third world nations to deny Jews a homeland. There is no deed, document that says these settlements are on Arab land. There is however, deeds, documents and laws that say these settlements are legal and are part of the Jewish State of Israel.