Israel Foreign Ministry officials have summoned the ambassador from South Africa to explain the South African government’s decision to require special labeling for goods manufactured in Israel’s “occupied areas”. The process to pass this new labeling law has been ongoing since May 2012 and it was passed into law this week.

In line with the new South African law, good manufactured in areas viewed as “occupied” cannot have a label saying “made in Israel” on it.

According to Foreign Ministry officials in Israel, the move is “unprecedented” and unacceptable, describing it as a “blatant discrimination based on national and political distinction”.

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon pointed out “At the moment apartheid is being directed at Israel and against miners in South Africa itself. Instead of accepting the measure to mark Israeli products it would have been better had the South African government made courageous decisions with regards to the 34 innocent miners who only sought to improve their employment conditions.”

The Foreign Ministry released the following statement:

The measure announced today by the South African cabinet to require special labeling for goods emanating from Israeli settlements is without precedent, as no such measure has ever been adopted in South Africa or in any other country: It constitutes therefore a blatant discrimination based on national and political distinction.

This kind of discrimination has not been imposed – and rightly so – in any other case of national, territorial or ethnic conflict. Israel and South Africa have political differences, and that is legitimate. What is totally unacceptable is the use of tools which, by essence, discriminate and single out, fostering a general boycott. Such exclusion and discrimination bring to mind ideas of racist nature which the government of South Africa, more than any other, should have wholly rejected.

The Ambassador of South Africa in Israel will be summoned tomorrow to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)