39 fundamentalist members of Knesset signed a petition calling for boycotting goods and services from the United Kingdom as a response to a recent non-binding decision asking merchants and importers in the county to place a clear mark on products made in Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.The MK’s said that the petition emerged as “the Israelis want to express their disgust” over the recent UK decision.
Israeli Ynet news was the first to report on the British decision last week, and said that the government issued recommendations to all retail chains to place a clear label marking Jewish settlements products.
The decision includes all products made in West Bank settlement and the Golan Heights as is it a Syrian region occupied by Israel during the 1967 war.
The petition calls on the UK to void its decision without any delays, and that this decision will have a negative impact on the economic cooperation between Israel and the UK.
The MK’s who signed the document claim that boycotting settlement products is a cover-up for a larger boycott of all Israeli goods, not only settlement products.
The Ynet said that the petition was initiated by Kadima MK Ronit Tirosh. She also said that should Britain fail to void its decision, Israel would draft a bill to label all UK products.
She said that the public must counter what she called “the hostile atmosphere in Britain”, and to mobilize for encouraging Israeli products.
Tirosh further contacted the accountant general of Israel’s Finance Ministry requesting Israel not to recognize British public figures who fly to Israel via British Airways.
Political analysts in Israel believe that this petition will further escalate the relations between the country and Britain.
