Jerusalem Condemns Oslo’s Decision To Distinguish Between Products of Israel, Settlements

Israel on Saturday criticized Norway’s decision to label the products of Israeli settlements in the West Bank as such, and not as made in Israel. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the new policy “will adversely affect bilateral relations between Israel and Norway, as well as Norway’s relevance to promoting relations between Israel and the Palestinians.” Norway announced its decision on Friday. It will mainly affect imports of wine, olive oil, fruits, and vegetables, and will apply not only to West Bank settlements but also to Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem and Israeli communities in the Golan Heights. Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt said in an interview with the Norwegian News Agency that “Norway has good relations with Israel”  which “must continue” and that the new labeling policy did not constitute a boycott of the Jewish state. The European Commission recommended in 2015 that member states distinguish in their labeling of imports between products of Israel and products of the Israeli settlements; this decision was confirmed by the European Court of Justice in 2019.