Settler products from occupied Palestine sold to Europe as Israeli, investigation finds
Shipments deliberately mislabelled to bolster settler economy, says non-profit Global Echo
TL;DR
- Israeli exporters are mislabelling produce from occupied Palestine and Syrian Golan Heights as Israeli to qualify for unlawful tax breaks in Europe.
- Global Echo's investigation of over 30,000 export documents found that one in six shipments contained products from illegal settlements, with at least 42% mislabelled.
- The mislabelling circumvents free trade agreements that exclude products from settlements, making them more competitive in European markets.
- Three main techniques are used: 'hiding in plain sight' by listing an accurate settlement address but labelling produce as Israeli, using 'sham addresses' falsely indicating production within Israel, and 'mingling' settlement goods with Israeli products.
- European customs authorities have been accepting invalid organic and plant health certificates for settlement products, which should only be certified by Palestinian or Syrian authorities.
- The practice is alleged to be a systemic failure of regulatory design, enforcement, and accountability, not isolated incidents.
- The mislabelling contributes to an unlawful territorial regime and subsidizes settlement agriculture, undermining EU trade and policy rules.
- Settlement exports are bolstered by Israeli government subsidies and face fewer restrictions compared to Palestinian farmers.
- The scale of settlement agriculture is obscured by Israel's refusal to distinguish between products from recognized borders and occupied territories.