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Denmark to ban labeling West Bank products as 'Made in Israel', report says

Report comes after South AfricaSouth Africa says only recognizes State of Israel within borders demarcated by UN in 1948; move is in line with U.K. recommendation from 2009.
By Amira Hass and Anshel Pfeffer | May.19, 2012 | 8:18 PM

Denmark is planning to ban labeling products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank as "Made in Israel," the foreign minister told Danish media on Saturday. The move follows reports of similar plans announced this month by South Africa's government.

“This is a step that clearly shows consumers that the products are produced under conditions that not only the Danish government, but also European governments, do not approve of,” Foreign Minister Villy Søvndal Søvndal told Politiken newspaper. “It will then be up to consumers whether they choose to buy the products or not.

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In late 2009, the U.K. government recommended West Bank products be labeled separately.

Earlier this month, South Africa's Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies said that the government is planning to ban marketing products made in Israeli settlements in the West Bank with the label, "Made in Israel."

The move comes as a result of a year and a half of activity by Open Shuhada Street and Attorneys for Human Rights, two South African NGOs together with the Palestinian Popular Struggle coordination committee.

Davies, who is of Jewish descent, wrote in his official announcement that "consumers in South Africa should not be misled into believing that products originating in the (occupied Palestinian territories) are products originating from Israel." He added that "the government of South Africa recognizes the State of Israel only within the borders demarcated by the UN in 1948."