Israel has condemned a decision by Norway to label products exported from Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. Norway issued a statement quoting the government’s decision and the reasoning behind it.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemns the Norwegian government’s decision to label products originating from Israeli localities in Judea and Samaria.
“This decision will not contribute to the advancement of Israeli-Palestinian ties and will adversely affect bilateral relations between Israel and Norway, as well as Norway’s relevance to promoting relations between Israel and the Palestinians,” the foreign ministry said in its statement.
The Norwegian statement, entitled “Foodstuffs Originating in Areas Occupied by Israel,” has been translated by the ministry for the convenience of our readers.
“Foodstuffs originating in areas occupied by Israel must be marked with the area from which the product comes, and that it comes from an Israeli settlement if that is the case,” the statement reads.
“A ruling by the European Court of Justice from 12.11.2019 states that the Food Information Regulation must be interpreted so that food from areas occupied by Israel must be labeled separately so that consumers are not misled by a lack of labeling about the origin of the products.
“Foodstuffs originating in areas occupied by Israel must be marked with the area from which the product comes, and that it comes from an Israeli settlement if that is the case. It is especially wine, olive oil, fruit, vegetables and potatoes that come from the relevant areas.
“In line with resolutions of the UN Security Council and assessments by the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Norway’s position is that “Israel” and “Israeli territory” include the territory that was under Israeli control before June 4, 1967.
“The Israeli occupied territories include the Golan, Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
“Norway considers the Israeli settlements in the occupied territories to be contrary to international law. This territorial delimitation of the State of Israel is also the basis for understanding the geographical scope of the EFTA Free Trade Agreement with Israel,” the statement concluded.
