Quarterly Updates for (16 Nov 2016 — 15 Feb 2017)
In addition to organizing and hosting a peace conference in Paris on 1/15 (see “The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict” above), the French govt. published (11/24) new regulations calling for the accurate labeling of goods imported from the oPt. In line with the European Commission’s 11/2015 guidelines (see JPS 45 [2]), the purpose of the regulations was to alert customers that they were purchasing goods from a settlement, rather than Palestinian-made goods. Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned the decision, and a spokesperson said (11/24), “We regret that France, where there’s a law against boycotts is advancing steps that could be seen as giving a tailwind to radicals and the boycott movement against Israel.”