Jerusalem: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday became the first top American diplomat to visit an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank as the State Department announced that products from the settlements can be labelled “Made in Israel” in a major policy shift.
The two moves reflected the Trump administration’s acceptance of Israeli settlements, which the Palestinians and most of the international community view as a violation of international law and a major obstacle to peace.
Pompeo also announced that the US would brand the international Palestinian-led boycott movement against Israel as “anti-Semitic” and bar any groups that participate in it from receiving government funding. It was not immediately clear which groups would be affected by the move.
In a Twitter post, Pompeo confirmed his visit to the Psagot winery, located in a settlement near Jerusalem. Reporters were not allowed to accompany him.
“Enjoyed lunch at the scenic Psagot Winery today,” he tweeted. “Unfortunately, Psagot and other businesses have been targeted by pernicious EU labelling efforts that facilitate the boycott of Israeli companies. The US stands with Israel and will not tolerate any form of delegitimisation.”
The European Union, like most of the world, opposes Israeli settlements and requires imports from the occupied territory to be labelled as such.
Read the article by Joseph Krauss in The Sydney Morning Herald.