PNN/Jerusalem

The U.S., on Thursday January 28, reissued guidelines on the labeling requirements for products manufactured in illegal Israeli settlements across the occupied West Bank.

It reminded that, under the U.S. law, in a guideline made in 1995, any product imported from the occupied West Bank or from the Gaza Strip cannot be labeled as “made in Israel”, “Israel”, “occupied territories-Israel”, or “any variation thereof”.

The move came a few days after U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Dan Shapiro, criticized Israel’s conduct in the West Bank settlement policy alleging that Israel has two standards of law in that territory — one for Israelis; and another for Palestinians.

He said that the US administration was “concerned and perplex” by Israel’s settlement policy.

The reissued guidelines on settlement products by U.S. Customs and Border Protection | Photo credit: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

However, despite great attention from the media regarding the guidelines reissue, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner insisted on Thursday that the guidelines reissuing was only designed to clarify U.S. policy on the matter following reports and complaints of mislabeling, stating that some West Bank products had been mislabeled prior to US import.

He also insisted that its labeling regulations do not discriminate between Israeli and Palestinian producers.

“U.S. Customs and Border Protection reissued guidance on their marking requirements,” Toner told reporters. “It in no way supersedes prior rulings or regulations and nor does it impose additional requirements with respect to merchandise imported from the West Bank, Gaza Strip, or Israel.”

In fact, even though Obama Administration supports the European Union (EU) decision of labeling Israeli settlements products, it did not take steps toward similarly far-reaching measures: the US labeling rules do not differentiate between products made in illegal Israeli settlements and those produced elsewhere in the occupied West Bank.

Following the release, according to the Israeli media, the Israeli Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Uri Ariel on Friday said that while Washington’s decision to issue a reminder that products imported from the occupied West Bank or the Gaza Strip should not be labeled “Made in Israel” may not necessarily imply a shift in policy, the decision itself –of reissue it – and its timing were nevertheless “unreasonable, unfair and inappropriate.”

On September last year, the European Commission has announced that all member states of the EU must label goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

At that time, the decision sparked fury in Israel, with Netanyahu saying that Israel is “not prepared to accept the fact that Europe is labeling the side that is being attacked by terrorism.”

Furthermore, the Israeli government has accused the EU of discrimination and anti-Semitism following the decision, as is ”singles out Israel and not the 200 other conflicts around the world”, as Netanyahu adds.