“The TUC welcomes the public clarification that marking produce from illegal settlements on occupied territory as 'produce of Israel' is against the law. Profiting from the goods produced in the illegal settlements is contrary to international law and they should be banned from sale in the European Union, as they are in Palestine. Trade in such goods undermines the viability of a sovereign Palestinian state and holds back the peace process.”
http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-17348-f0.cfm
However the Government was criticised by War on Want over the voluntary guidance issued to the highly profitable supermarket and the anti world poverty campaign called for stronger action. Yasmin Khan, senior campaigns officer at War on Want, said:
"By selling produce from Israeli settlements, British supermarkets like Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose are profiting from Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian land.
Voluntary advice on labelling fails to deal with the issue. The government should impose an immediate and total ban on the sale of settlement goods in Britain.”
http://www.waronwant.org/news/press-releases/16738-advice-on-settlers-goods-slated
The bold public stance by the TUC on a ban of Israeli goods is a setback for those inside the British trade union movement who claim that ‘calling for boycotts of Israel is not the right approach for trade unions’
http://www.tufi.org.uk/case_against_boycotts.html
For more on the Israel lobby inside British trade unions read:
http://unisonactive.blogspot.com/2009/11/israel-lobby-british-unions.html
