Bahrain to Accept Israeli Settlement Products, Minister Says, Angering Palestinians

Bahrain’s Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed bin Rashid Alzayani on Thursday indicated his country would not formally distinguish between products made within internationally recognized Israel, and those manufactured in the disputed territories on the West Bank, drawing the ire of Palestinian officials. “We will treat Israeli products as Israeli products. So we have no issue with labelling or origin,” Alzayani told reporters during a visit to Israel. Some countries, including all members of the European Union, specifically label products imported from Israeli settlements, which were built on land conquered by Israel in the 1967 war, as such. A Palestinian Authority official condemned the minister’s remarks as “contradicting international and UN resolutions.” Bahrain, alongside the United Arab Emirates and Sudan, agreed to formalize diplomatic and trade ties with Israel in recent months. In return, Israel was forced to shelve its plans of annexing most of the West Bank.