EU discourages investment in Israeli settlements
Source: Associated Press
JERUSALEM (AP) — European Union officials say diplomats are urging their governments to discourage investments in Jewish settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem — territories Palestinians claim for their future state.
The officials said Wednesday the recommendations are part of a non-binding internal report for European governments in their briefings on the Mideast peace process. The diplomats represent 22 countries, including Germany, France and the U.K.
Parts of the report were published in the Israeli daily Haaretz. EU officials confirmed the report. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing a confidential internal document.
The diplomats recommend discouraging direct investments that support settlement construction, infrastructure and services. They also recommend European countries step up efforts to label settlement-made products sold in Europe.
Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/eu-discourages-investment-israeli-settlements
EU consuls recommend imposing sanctions on Israeli settlements.
The European Union’s consuls general in East Jerusalem and Ramallah are recommending economic sanctions against settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Among the recommendations made in the nonbinding Heads of Mission report for 2012, which has been obtained by Haaretz, is to “prevent, discourage and raise awareness about problematic implications of financial transactions including foreign direct investments, from within the EU in support of settlement activities, infrastructure and services.”
Seven of the report’s 10 recommendations deal with imposing direct or indirect sanctions by the European Union on bodies and organizations involved in construction in the settlements. The recommendation to actively encourage European divestment from the settlements is particularly severe, compared with previous internal EU reports.
The consuls recommend that the EU ensure strict application of the free trade agreement between the EU and Israel so that products manufactured in settlements do not benefit from preferential treatment. Another clause recommends encouraging efforts to enforce existing legislation requiring products made in the settlements to be labeled as such at sales points.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/eu-consuls-recommend-imposing-sanctions-on-israeli-settlements.premium-1.506043
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