US Regards EU Decision To Label Goods From Palestine As 'Anti-Israel Bias' - State Dept

US Regards EU Decision to Label Goods From Palestine as 'Anti-Israel Bias' - State Dept

The United States expressed disappointment over the top European Union court's decision to mark all food products coming from occupied Palestinian territories with special label, calling the ruling a form of "anti-Israel bias," State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement on Wednesday

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th November, 2019) The United States expressed disappointment over the top European Union court's decision to mark all food products coming from occupied Palestinian territories with special label, calling the ruling a form of "anti-Israel bias," State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The circumstances surrounding the labeling requirement in the specific facts presented to the Court are suggestive of anti-Israel bias," Ortagus said.

On Tuesday, the European Court of Justice ruled that EU standards of food labeling require producers to clearly identify the origin of products, particularly if they come from Israeli settlements.

The ruling came after Israeli company Psagot, which runs vineyards in the occupied territories, filed a legal challenge against French guidelines requiring companies to make their origins clear.

Ortagus said the United States is deeply concerned about the EU decision. "This requirement serves only to encourage, facilitate, and promote boycotts, divestments, and sanctions (BDS) against Israel," she said.

The spokesperson reiterated that the United States "unequivocally opposes any effort to engage in BDS" or to pressure, isolate or delegitimize Israel.

Ortagus also expressed full US support for Israel in the face of any attempts to isolate the middle East country.