JERUSALEM (VINnews) —The Norwegian government is demanding that Israeli products be marked with where in Israel they were produced, to avoid ‘misleading’ customers. The demand refers both to items originated in Judea and Samaria and those from the Golan Heights, as well as East Jerusalem.
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In a statement, the Norwegian government said, “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.”
“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.”
The statement added, “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.”
In response, Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the decision, saying, “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.”