British to tax imports from Illegal Israeli Settlements

Friday April 04, 2003 13:52

by kokomero

Better still if they banned them altogether!

Tony Blair's government tightened the screws on Israel's illegal West Bank settlements yesterday by warning British food and agricultural importers that they will now be liable for taxes on zero-rated goods which are not genuinely Israeli. Less than 10% of Israel's farms exports are said to emanate from the West Bank, but such goods are used to defray the heavy cost of subsidising the settlements from Palestinian attacks. For instance a lone settler occupying a hilltop in the West Bank illegally is being guarded by 6 troops to the tune of $27,000 a month! Your money is going to subsidise illegal settlements and ethnic cleansing if you buy Israeli goods! Boycott Israel!

It will be interesting to see when Ireland follows the British lead in implementing this EU initiative.

Britain clamps down on imports

Michael White, political editor
Friday April 4, 2003
The Guardian

Tony Blair's government tightened the screws on Israel's illegal West Bank settlements yesterday by warning British food and agricultural importers that they will now be liable for taxes on zero-rated goods which are not genuinely Israeli.
To the delight of Labour MPs critical of the settlements, widely seen as a barrier to peace between Israel and the Palestinians, the Treasury issued a written commons statement which signals a tightening up of customs checks in response to Israeli stonewalling on the exact origins of its exports.

John Healey, the economic secretary in Gordon Brown's team, said that the latest agreement between Israel and the EU to provide zero-rates of duty on Israeli products does not extend to goods originating in territories occupied during the 1967 war, including Gaza and the West Bank.

"These settlements are illegal under international law, they are not part of Israel," one Labour MP said yesterday. "By buying such goods we are subsidising these settlements."

Less than 10% of Israel's farms exports are said to emanate from the West Bank, but such goods are used to defray the heavy cost of subsidising the settlements from Palestinian attacks.

Mr Healey told MPs that zero-rating may be denied "where there is reasonable doubt as to entitlement". Israel has not denied certifying goods from the West Bank as Israeli.

The EU is also tightening up its controls.

Britain's active role in persuading President George Bush to embrace the "road map" to restore the Middle East peace process - as part of the US regional strategy against Iraq - has prompted hostile commentary in Tel Aviv.

Mr Healey said that Israel had failed to prove the legitimacy of goods suspected of coming from the occupied territories.

"Customs and excise have now begun issuing duty demands to UK importers where there is reason to suspect that goods may have originated in Israeli settlements in the occupied territories," he said.

Israel will still be able to export goods produced in settlements, but they will not be eligible for the special rates of duty.