It is one thing for individuals to boycott goods from illegal Israeli settlements, quite another for states to ban their import – especially in military gear. The TUC has taken a lead by commissioning an opinion from James Crawford, Whewell Professor of International Law, Cambridge University. Contrary to the fears of governments and the EU Commission, he gives his argument that they are entitled to take such action.

The main decision-making organ of the Quakers in the UK has called for Quakers worldwide to reflect on boycotting , divesting and sanctions against firms and organisations involved in the Occupied Territories. The “Meeting for Sufferings” on 2nd April, issued a statement that stresses they are not at this time proposing to boycott goods from Israel itself.

A good piece of investigative journalism. showing how the US Dept of Commerce and the US embassy in Tel Aviv are co=promoting a an Israeli trade mission with Airlift Inc, an aerospace and consulting firm based in an illegal settlement in East Jerusalem – in explicit contravention of US policy and international law…

The campaign to boycott settlement goods can and should be a worldwide campaign. Here’s a good example of a well-thought through and targeted intervention from South Africa. On the 16 August 2010, Open Shuhada Street sent the following letter to Wellness Warehouse; a Cape Town-based retailer of wellness products and services which stocks Ahava products…

Palestine solidarity activists who chained themselves inside a shop whose owners stood accused of financially supporting illegal Israeli settlements were found to have acted lawfully on Tuesday…

The European Court of Justice found that the EC-Israel Agreement must be interpreted in light of the EC-PLO Agreement, and therefore only the Palestinian authorities can issue origin certificates for goods originating in the West Bank. As a result, the status of goods from East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, and Gaza remains open; an exporter of West Bank-origin goods can benefit from EU tariff preferences if it can obtain a EUR.1 certificate from the Palestinian customs authorities… Detailed analysis of the judgment by Itzchak Kornfeld.

Maariv business section reports that targeted boycott and divestment actions — Israeli, Palestinian and international — are pushing an increasing number of Israeli companies out of the West Bank settlements and into Israeli proper:..

Rachel Shabi reports: The Palestinian Authority has recently passed a law prohibiting the sale of such goods, with potential fines and prison terms imposed on those that flout it. The authority has dispatched 3,000 volunteers to canvass door to door in the West Bank, explaining what products should be boycotted and why…

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, in partnership with the TUC, and War on Want are promoting campaigns to get supermarkets to stop selling settlement produce, campaigns that JfjfP endorses…

Adam Keller writes: “In the name of the Industrialists’ Association, both of you expressed protest at that European ruling [that settlement goods do not count as "made in Israel"], demanded its repeal and called upon the Government of Israel to act against it. With all due respect, I hope you realize that you are tilting at windmills, waging a futile and foredoomed effort [...]“

Many thought that the EU imposed taxes on imported goods from the Occupied Territories already. An ECJ ruling now makes this definitive, saying the EU deal with Israel [exempting Israeli goods from import duties] “applies [only] to the territory of the State of Israel” and the Palestinian one to “the territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.” [...]

A Codepink update on Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories, producing their products deep inside Palestinian territory: “Not only does Ahava profit from the occupation by locating its main plant and store in an illegal Israeli settlement, it also uses in its products mud from the Dead Sea, excavated in an occupied area, and thus it exploits occupied natural resources for profit…” That doesn’t stop it from labeling its output as ‘product of Israel’ [...]

A debate in the House of Commons on EU-Israel trade on 27 January 2010 contains a detailed analysis by Phyllis Starkey of how EU-Israel regulations on trade in settlement goods are evaded, and a government response.

JfJfP welcomes the Defra advice Labelling of produce grown in the Occupied Palestinian Territories published on 10 December 2009 on the “labelling of produce grown in the Occupied Palestinian Territories”, in particular para 4 which states […[

4. For produce from the West Bank, labelling currently states country of origin as ‘Produce of the West Bank’. Traders and retailers may wish to indicate whether the product originated from an Israeli settlement or from Palestinian producers. This could take the form, for example, of ‘Produce of the West Bank (Israeli settlement produce)’ or ‘Produce of the West Bank (Palestinian produce)’, as appropriate…
9. Israeli settlements in the OPT are unlawful under international law…

Write to your MP now about the labelling of settlement goods. It is important to do so before the House of Commons adjourns on 18 December. We provide a model letter you can tailor to your needs…

Gush Shalom to ‘Barkan Wineries’: Not enough that you took your plant out of the Barkan West Bank settlement; the boycott continues until you also dissociate from your Golan Heights vineyards

In this debate, introduced by Dr Phyllis Starkey, MP for Milton Keynes South-West, the House of Commons airs the issue of the labelling of settlement goods [...]

Phyllis Starkey MP has secured an adjournment debate on the labelling of Israeli goods on Wednesday 2 December 11-11.30am. Please ask your MP to attend, and argue not only for an end to the mislabelling of settlement goods, but for settlement goods to be banned.

Israel decided to mark produce grown in the settlements after the British chain Marks & Spencer returned millions of dollars in products, Dov Weissglas, former advisor and bureau chief to prime minister Ariel Sharon, revealed yesterday. [...]