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UK issues new guidance on labelling of food from illegal Israeli settlements

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  • 10-12-2009 9:35pm
    #1
    Run_to_da_hills
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭


    Up until now one could not tell whether Olives from the West Bank came from Palistinian or Illegal Israeli settlements. They would be simply be labled "Product of the West Bank".

    Now the the British government has called on all supermarkets to inform customers clearly when they are buying food which side produced it in the occupied West Bank.

    This is a welcome move and should be also carried out in Ireland and across the EU.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/10/guidance-labelling-food-israeli-settlements


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    #2
    Rondolfus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 374 ✭✭Rondolfus


    Run_to_da_hills wrote: »
    Up until now one could not tell whether Olives from the West Bank came from Palistinian or Illegal Israeli settlements. They would be simply be labled "Product of the West Bank".

    Now the the British government has called on all supermarkets to inform customers clearly when they are buying food which side produced it in the occupied West Bank.

    This is a welcome move and should be also carried out in Ireland and across the EU.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/10/guidance-labelling-food-israeli-settlements


    Yea its a good move. I spent a bit of time in the West Bank and had my fair share of ecounters with settlers. Without a doubt the most unpleasant bunch of people/criminals I have ever come across in my life.

    Unfortunately Israel often labels wine etc produced in such settlemts as "products of Israel." I can see them doing this more in response to this decision.


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    #3
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    Proper order.


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    #4
    Run_to_da_hills
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭Run_to_da_hills


    Rondolfus wrote: »
    Yea its a good move. I spent a bit of time in the West Bank and had my fair share of ecounters with settlers. Without a doubt the most unpleasant bunch of people/criminals I have ever come across in my life.

    Unfortunately Israel often labels wine etc produced in such settlemts as "products of Israel." I can see them doing this more in response to this decision.
    I spent 6 weeks there in the 80ies, pre wall and it was not good back then.


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    #5
    Flamed Diving
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,609 ✭✭✭Flamed Diving


    Good idea. Don't see the CT though.


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    #6
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 83,333 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    Rondolfus wrote: »
    Yea its a good move. I spent a bit of time in the West Bank and had my fair share of ecounters with settlers. Without a doubt the most unpleasant bunch of people/criminals I have ever come across in my life.
    The Palestinians?


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    #7
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    Overheal wrote: »
    The Palestinians?

    You think an illegally occupied people should just sit back and watch their land stolen? There isn't parity here. The Settler movement is as valid as the concept behind "Lebensraum".


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    #8
    FlutterinBantam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    I for one won't be buying Palestinian produce while they indiscriminately shower rockets at Israel.

    Good move by Britain.Now at least we can make judgments.


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    #9
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    FlutterinBantam wrote: »
    I for one won't be buying Palestinian produce while they indiscriminately shower rockets at Israel.

    ....but the 40 year occupation and colonisation bothers you not a jot.


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    #10
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 83,333 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    Nodin wrote: »
    You think an illegally occupied people should just sit back and watch their land stolen? There isn't parity here. The Settler movement is as valid as the concept behind "Lebensraum".
    Excuse me for not recognizing the term "Settler" and mistaking the User's comment to be directed at Palestinians, which is why I asked him to clarify.

    You dont need to jump down my throat about it.
    Nodin wrote: »
    ....but the 40 year occupation and colonisation bothers you not a jot.
    Theres somebody parking on your lawn; and then theres you shooting their dog in the backseat for it.


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    #11
    aurelius79
    Closed Accounts Posts: 395 ✭✭aurelius79


    Overheal wrote: »
    Theres somebody parking on your lawn; and then theres you shooting their dog in the backseat for it.

    There's somebody parking on your lawn, blowing up your house, shooting your kids through the window; and then there's you shooting their dog on the backseat for it.

    Fixed it for ya.


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    #12
    wes
    Registered Users Posts: 11,747 ✭✭✭✭wes


    A long over due move this. Good to see some movement on this finally. The rest of the world needs to follow suit, so that the choice is left up to the consumer on whether they want to support colonialism or not.


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    #13
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 83,333 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    aurelius79 wrote: »
    There's somebody parking on your lawn, blowing up your house, shooting your kids through the window; and then there's you shooting their dog on the backseat for it.

    Fixed it for ya.
    Thats still Two wrongs and No Rights. The Palestinians can hardly play the victim if they are going to continue to do silly things like launch missile attacks at Israel.

    Dont shoot the dog; call the cops. Shooting the dog then calling the cop isnt going to earn you that much sympathy.


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    #14
    jank
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 13,018 ✭✭✭✭jank


    Overheal wrote: »
    Thats still Two wrongs and No Rights. The Palestinians can hardly play the victim if they are going to continue to do silly things like launch missile attacks at Israel.

    .


    As a matter of interest when is the last time rockets were sent from the west bank into Isreal? I know this happens in Gaza but to me the West Bank have been largely peaceful. There hasnt been an incident of a sucide bomber in ages yet we are still left in the status qoe.


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    #15
    jank
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 13,018 ✭✭✭✭jank


    To me there can be only 2 solutions.

    Either Israel gives ALL Palestinians Israeli citizenship and associated rights of religion and politics. This will then create an equal greater Israel that combines todays West bank, Gaza strip and Israel. (NOT GOING TO HAPPEN)
    Or the two state solution with east Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. (Will happen once Israel stop these ****ing petty land grabs)

    Peace is there for the taking for both sides but both sides especially the Israeli side would rather the status Que continue indefinitely until most of the west bank is settled. They have most to gain from the current impass so why change it?


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    #16
    OldJay
    Closed Accounts Posts: 943 ✭✭✭OldJay


    jank wrote: »
    Peace is there for the taking for both sides
    It has been 'there' since 1948.


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    #17
    Rondolfus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 374 ✭✭Rondolfus


    FlutterinBantam wrote: »
    I for one won't be buying Palestinian produce while they indiscriminately shower rockets at Israel.

    Good move by Britain.Now at least we can make judgments.


    Thats a very simplistic view to take and is one that is all too common with casual obervers of the conflict. If you knew what Palestinians are subjected to on a daily basis maybe you'd be less quick to judge the actions of SOME.

    Since 2001 apporox 13 people have been killed by rockets fired into Israel. In that same period over 6000 Palestinians have been killed. Obviously these figures don't tell the full story, however, it puts into perspective the "rocket situation" which has been used by both the American and Israeli media to justify their campaign against the Palestinians. FYI far more innocent Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers ( who usually escape charges), than people killed by rockets. If your stance was truly based on opposing political violence, then you would surely boycott settler goods??


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    #18
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    Overheal wrote: »
    Thats still Two wrongs and No Rights. The Palestinians can hardly play the victim if they are going to continue to do silly things like launch missile attacks at Israel.

    Dont shoot the dog; call the cops. Shooting the dog then calling the cop isnt going to earn you that much sympathy.

    Occassionally I wonder.......

    The political route -via the UN, the UNSC and sanctions - has been blocked by the US veto.


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    #19
    dlofnep
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,759 ✭✭✭✭dlofnep


    Hear hear! Time to cripple these criminals economically.


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    #20
    Flamed Diving
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,609 ✭✭✭Flamed Diving


    dlofnep wrote: »
    Hear hear! Time to cripple these criminals economically.

    Yes! Since olives are such a huge part of Israel's agricultural sector, which in itself is such a large part of its economy.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_Israel

    Hit em where it hurts, babay!


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    #21
    The Saint
    Registered Users Posts: 1,932 ✭✭✭The Saint


    Positive move alright. Ideally the EU would ban all imports from the settlements. I'm sure there's a legal basis for it somewhere.


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    #22
    Overheal
    Registered Users Posts: 83,333 ✭✭✭✭Overheal


    Nodin wrote: »
    Occassionally I wonder.......

    The political route -via the UN, the UNSC and sanctions - has been blocked by the US veto.
    Because the US still points to Hamas as a Terrorist organization.


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    #23
    The Saint
    Registered Users Posts: 1,932 ✭✭✭The Saint


    Overheal wrote: »
    Because the US still points to Hamas as a Terrorist organization.

    This has been the case since before Hamas even existed. Anyway, it's off topic.


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    #24
    Rondolfus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 374 ✭✭Rondolfus


    Overheal wrote: »
    Because the US still points to Hamas as a Terrorist organization.

    America also stands by Israel, despite the fact that it has breached more UN resolutions than all the other member countries put together.

    Looking deep into America's structure of alliances with states and organisations, its hardly consistant or moral for that matter. They oppose Hamas, not becuase its use of violence or terror, but because that violence is not perpetrated in the name of America's and Israel's interests.

    How Israel can comment on "terrorism" is beyond me considering it is a state born out of terrorist activity by groups such as Irgun and the Stern gang. Their current political system is directly connected to such groups and still operates according to their extremist idealogy i.e if you are part of the "chosen people", you can bomb hotels , carry out assasinations, and kill civillians, you are not a terrorist but a "freedom figther." Where else could Ariel Sharon, a man dubbed the butcher of Beirut, be elected as a popular leader?? A man who openly wanted to forcibly remove Palestinians from the occupied territories??

    Compared to groups like Irgun, Hamas look like boy scouts.


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    #25
    FlutterinBantam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/08/06/gazaisrael-hamas-rocket-attacks-civilians-unlawful


    Hmm.... have to say if I was under that kind of stress I wouldn't be too well disposed to Hamas either.

    Firing at civilians!!!


    How do they expect sympathy??


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    #26
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    Overheal wrote: »
    Because the US still points to Hamas as a Terrorist organization.

    The US has supported Israel unilaterally since the early 1970's. Hamas was only founded in 1987.
    FlutterinBantam wrote:
    Firing at civilians!!!


    How do they expect sympathy?? .

    Comedy hour again?


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    #27
    wes
    Registered Users Posts: 11,747 ✭✭✭✭wes


    FlutterinBantam wrote: »
    http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/08/06/gazaisrael-hamas-rocket-attacks-civilians-unlawful


    Hmm.... have to say if I was under that kind of stress I wouldn't be too well disposed to Hamas either.

    Firing at civilians!!!


    How do they expect sympathy??

    So, I take that you believe HRW are a accurate source? Presumably, then you also take there report on Israel to be accurate:


    Rain of Fire
    Israel: End Arbitrary Detention of Rights Activist

    The Israeli's are hardly innocent little flower children here, but in the end the actions of Hamas or Israel in the link you and I provided, are completely irrelevant to the topic at hand.

    I take it by your posts you have a issue with correctly labeling products in this instance, as you have pretty much went on the attack right off the bat and are trying to avoid the issue now. Last I checked the "settlements" are illegal under international law, so I don't see the issue here, hell I am sure there could even be a case for banning them completely due to the direct violations of these "settlements" of international law.


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    #28
    FlutterinBantam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7818122.stm

    Unfortunately those who use innocent civilians as a cover for their action,as Hamas do,will always draw public opinion against those trying to stamp out terrorism.

    This tactic fools a lot of misguided people but not this poster who will still eat Jaffa oranges with a clear conscience,whatever Britain's food labeling process.


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    #29
    dvpower
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,183 ✭✭✭dvpower


    FlutterinBantam wrote: »
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7818122.stm

    Unfortunately those who use innocent civilians as a cover for their action,as Hamas do,will always draw public opinion against those trying to stamp out terrorism.

    This tactic fools a lot of misguided people but not this poster who will still eat Jaffa oranges with a clear conscience,whatever Britain's food labeling process.


    That article accuses both Israel and the Palastinians of using human shields:
    Israeli troops had forced Palestinian civilians to stay in their homes after taking them over as sniper positions or bases, it said quoting sources in Gaza.
    "This increases risk to families and means they are effectively being used as human shields," the group said.

    Hamas fighters also put civilians in danger by firing from homes, it added.


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    #30
    FlutterinBantam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,575 ✭✭✭✭FlutterinBantam


    I am well aware of that and do not condone either side doing that.

    My point is that it is happening.


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    #31
    Nodin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 46,938 ✭✭✭✭Nodin


    FlutterinBantam wrote: »
    I am well aware of that and do not condone either side doing that.

    My point is that it is happening.

    Your point was to condemn Palestinian violence, and announce that you'd boycott their goods. You seem somewhat indifferent to Israeli actions, and offer excuses for them.

    Personally, I don't think your entirely serious, however that kind of 'obstreperous for the sake of it' humour tends to make these threads worse.


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