ECJ judgment: products of Israeli settlers must be marked

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has issued a landmark judgment on the labeling of food products from the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. Goods coming from the settler areas must be marked as such. The judges decided in Luxembourg in a dispute over wine from the West Bank. Thus, "food from areas occupied by the state of Israel must indicate its origin and, if it comes from an Israeli settlement in that area, its origin".

The verdict is politically explosive. Israel considers labeling of settler products discriminatory and highly critical. The country responded to similar decisions in the past with fierce criticism.

Israel conquered the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights in 1967 during the Six-Day War. The United Nations classifies the areas as occupied, the Palestinians call for their own state of Palestine. However, more than 600,000 Israeli settlers now live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem alone.

EU does not consider settlements as Israeli territory

The EU does not see the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories as part of Israeli territory. Goods produced there may not be provided with the designation of origin of Israel under EU law, as the Federal Ministry of Agriculture explained. The EU Commission had already explained its legal perspective in 2015 and made provisions for the labeling of settler products.

One aspect of the dispute is the concern that consumers might avoid products from Israeli-occupied areas for political reasons. International calls the so-called BDS movement to buy no Israeli goods. BDS stands for boycott, divestments and sanctions. Israel accuses the movement of being anti-Semitic and of unilaterally opposing the Jewish state.

The background is ultimately the unresolved Middle East peace process. The UN Security Council demanded a complete settlement stop by Israel in 2016. Settlements were designated in resolution 2334 as a violation of international law and a major obstacle to peace in the Middle East.