South Africa publishes new West Bank goods notice

By JTA10/15/2012 14:06

Guidelines require that products manufactured across the Green Line be labelled as originating from "Israeli Occupied Territory.

PRETORIA - The South African Trade Ministry has published a second notice concerning the labeling of Israeli products, despite working with the Jewish community on a compromise, JTA learned on Monday.

Contrary to the more restricted proposal issued in May, the notice published October 12 in the Government Gazette refers to all products originating from the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and eastern Jerusalem as "requiring an importer, producer, retailer or supplier of the Republic of South Africa to label goods that originate from the Israeli Occupied Territory (hereinafter referred to as "IOT") namely: East Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank, as goods originating from IOT. Goods originating from IOT must not be labeled as goods originating from Israel."

The new notice defines Israel's borders as those recognized by the South African government. "The label 'Made in Israel' may only be applied to goods that originate from within Israel’s borders of 1948-1967 before they were unilaterally changed by Israel in 1967 Six Day War," the notice reads.

The publication of the new notice came as a surprise to the South African Jewish Community. Two weeks ago, Wendy Kahn of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, together with Avrom Krengel of the Zionist Federation, presented their case in front of the South African Parliamentary Portfolio Committee, handling trade and industry issues. The committee asked them both, and a representative of the pro-Palestinian Open Shuhada Street Organization, to submit written documents to further explain their positions.

A representative of the Trade Ministry who took part in the meeting assured all parties that the ministry would not take any steps to implement the notice until the submissions were made, and until a comprehensive debate with all stakeholders was launched, so that a compromise could be reached.

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies was in the process of submitting its document on October 12, when the new notice was published.