A Bit of Good News

It might seem that it doesn't take much to make me happy.

Settlements Goods Not Israeli: EU Court

In a landmark verdict, the European Court of Justice ruled on Thursday, February 25, that goods produced in Jewish settlements cannot benefit from EU trade privileges because the West Bank is an occupied Palestinian territory.

"Products originating in the West Bank do not fall within the territorial scope of the EU-Israel agreement and do not therefore qualify for preferential treatment under that agreement," the Luxembourg-based court said in a statement cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The EU has signed a deal which allows Israeli industrial products to be imported to Europe without customs duties.

"The European Union takes the view that products obtained in locations which have been placed under Israeli administration since 1967 do not qualify for the preferential treatment provided for under that agreement," ruled the court.

"The (EU)-Israel agreement applies to the territory of the state of Israel, whereas the (EU-Palestine) agreement applies to the territory of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip."

Israel occupied the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem) after the 1967 war.

It withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2000 but continues to occupy the West Bank and the holy city of Al-Quds.

Some 280,000 Jewish settlers live in more than 120 settlements scattered across the occupied West Bank.

The international community considers all Jewish settlements on the occupied Palestinian land illegal.

Under the internationally-backed roadmap, Israel must freeze all settlement activities and dismantle 22 outposts constructed after March 2001.

Boycott

Israel was not surprised by the European ruling, the first of its kind.

A source in the Israeli Foreign Ministry told Army Radio that the ruling "surprised no one."

He claimed the verdict was part of what he called "the European political campaign against the settlements."

The Palestinians welcomed the European verdict.

President Mahmoud Abbas urged Europe not to invest in the settlements and to boycott products made in Israeli settlements.

Many pro-Palestinian groups regularly protest in European supermarkets to complain about Israeli labels on products from the occupied West Bank.

The British government has promised to advise supermarkets on how to differentiate between goods produced in settlement and those produced inside Israel.

The Israel Manufacturers Association reported in 2009 a drop in demand due to boycotts, mostly from Britain and Scandinavian countries.

The Palestinian Authority launched late last year a new boycott campaign of all goods produced in Israeli settlements.

Prime Minister Salam Fayyad launched the campaign into the limelight last month with the public burning of $1 million in products made in Israeli settlements and confiscation of them from the shelves of Palestinian shops.

An 80-member monitoring team now roams West Bank cities and villages, looking for goods to confiscate. Source

ISRAEL PICKS A NEW FIGHT

Well, well, Israel is picking a fight with Europe. Why? Because the EU will be voting on declaring East Jerusalem the capital of Palestine, which, it is. Ban Ki Moon of the United Nations says so:

link Jerusalem must be the capital of two States – Israel and Palestine – living side-by-side in peace and security, with arrangements for the holy sites acceptable to all, if peace in the Middle East is to be achieved, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned today.

And even the Americans are “asking” Israel to stop building illegal settlements in occupied East Jerusalem. Asking nicely is all Obama can do, because they dare not piss off the Israeli Lobby by saying more. Still, even the Americans surely know that East Jerusalem is not up for grabs by Zionists and that Palestinians will never agree to such a deal.

Whilst this may not pass within the EU, people still should not be disheartened, here’s why; Each one of these attempts to hold Israel accountable are very important, be it this one, or the many attempts to arrest and convict Zionist War Criminals and yes, even the Goldstone Report helps. You see, even if we loose out on them right now, with each attempt, Israel is once again “in the news” and NOT in a good way. They have to come out and fight each one, displaying strong arm tactics for the entire world to see. And this gives the world a perfect glimpse into how Israel operates, which in turn only further infuriates people who want to see Israel treated like any other country, in other words, “not special and above the law” So, back to today’s report about the Zionist Militia coming after Europe:

link A senior political source defined Monday Sweden's attempt to declare Jerusalem the capital of Palestine as an "underhanded move by Stockholm, a mere moment before its term as head of the European Union is over. We are making efforts to thwart this move at the highest diplomatic levels."

Sorry but I love the wording of this hasbara above. According to Israel someone in a position of power cannot make decisions if their term is ending soon? So does that mean that when Bush agreed to allow Israel to commit mass genocide in Gaza during the upcoming change over to the Obama Administration, does that count too? Was that “wrong and underhanded” as well? Of course it was, but it was fully legal, even though it was underhanded. I love how Israel attempts to dance around words. More:

The European Union's foreign ministers are scheduled to convene in Brussels later Monday, ahead of the EU meet scheduled to take place in the city on December 10. The agenda for the second day of the conference is said to include the Balkans, the Middle East peace process and Iran.

As part of the discussion about the Middle East, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt is expected to put forward a pro-Palestinian motion which includes an article declaring east Jerusalem the capital of the future Palestinian state.

Sweden's new stance has enraged Israel: The Foreign Ministry launched extensive diplomatic efforts to counter the move, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman have discussed the matter with their colleagues.

Shall I translate the above paragraph for you, sift through the hasbara? What this means is that they will begin calling on to the carpet every single EU member that they can arm twist in any way shape or form. Be it with-holding international contracts, schemes, money, support, donations, you name it. Anything Israel has in the pipes that can be withheld and used as a battering rod over the heads of certain countries and members. This is how they work, blackmail, like the mafia. And below we see what Israel wants to "change" in the statement, after removal of the offending issue of East Jerusalem. Why they want a "compliment" what a laugh it is:

link there has been heavy lobbying: "Israel is pushing for a text much shorter than the three-to-four-page Swedish draft, and one that would commend Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's housing-start moratorium in the settlements and urge the Palestinians back to the negotiation table

More:

Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon added that "the Europeans will not dictate the results of the (Israeli-Palestinian) peace process.

No, sadly we cannot do that, however, we CAN endorse the FACT that East Jerusalem IS an OCCUPIED area that BELONGS to PALESTINE and WILL ultimately BE the CAPITAL of ANY future PALESTINIAN STATE. Which, I hate to inform Israel of this, actually IS what the MAJORITY of the WORLD’S population SUPPORTS. Even if their blackmailed Governments don't. And we CAN do that much, if we choose to and our elected officials have the "chutzpah" to do it! Unfortunately for Israel it does not have the same amount of clout and control and blackmailing capabilities in Europe as it has in America. Thank GOD for that. More:

The Swedish initiative is dangerous and it may hinder the efforts to resume negotiations by radicalizing the Palestinian stand.

Yet more “silly” words from Israel. I’d like them to expand on that insanity regarding “radicalizing the Palestinian stand” should the EU endorse this position on East Jerusalem. As if Palestinians do not already hold the never ending belief and never wavering demand that East Jerusalem IS the Palestinian capital, only it is currently under illegal occupation. Seriously, Israel makes itself look stupid with such moronic statements. More:

"This initiative is also against the principles of the international community and the Quartet's decision calling on both sides to hold direct negotiations."

The “Quartet” does not “really” exist, it is not a “quartet” but rather an American controlled arm twisting posse that is merely a “replacement and extension” of Israel.