A stop sign outside the West Bank settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim. Photo by Reuters |
This week, the European Union release a Commission Notice saying that Israeli entities beyond the Green Line (in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights) will not benefit from funding for grants, projects and programs from the EU. The announcement caused an uproar in Israeli media. Of course the Israeli government was less than happy about the Commission Notice.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded aggressively, while falling back on direct negotiations, which he has never shown a real interest in:
I will not allow the hundreds of thousands of Israelis living in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), the Golan Heights and Jerusalem to be harmed. We will not follow any demands regarding our borders. These issues will be resolved only through direct negotiations."
Naftali Bennet called it an "'economic terror attack' that has 'destroyed any possibility of negotiations.'"
Many Israelis wrote in support of the EU guidelines.
Nehemia Strasler claimed that the EU Commission Notice is finally an action from the EU, instead of words: "For decades the Europeans only talked and threatened. For decades they were led astray by our right-wing governments that promised negotiations and a construction freeze in the settlements. This time the Europeans got tired and took action; they're stopping funding, grants and awards to any Israeli entity linked to the settlements."
He continued saying that this is the first step to more sanctions, which will begin to be felt by the public: They understand that when the public feels the sanctions in the form of lower salaries, rising prices and increasing unemployment, it will realize that it's impossible to fool all the world all the time." Once the public feels these sanctions, the government will be forced to face them.
Gideon Levy claimed that this is a critical juncture: "The country finds itself at a critical juncture over whether to continue to maintain the occupation and pay the unbearable price, or whether to end the occupation, albeit outrageously late, and return Israel to the family of nations as a member in good standing."
As you know, I support boycott and the EU Commission may be a big step in holding Israel accountable for its actions. Israelis seem to know that sanctions will be felt by the public, the Occupation will become a topic in the forefront of the Israeli mind, and the government will then be forced to face the fact that the Occupation is no longer sustainable if it wants its country to live prosperous and in security.
But is the EU Commission Notice as good as it seems?
This means that numerous Israeli companies operating in the Occupied West Bank but have their offices in Tel Aviv or Airport City in Israeli proper, such as SodaStream, AHAVA, and Agrexco, may avoid the consequences of the EU Commission Notice.
In addition the Commission Notice does not bar member states from funding programs in the West Bank: "It applies to EU-funded programs but is not binding to member state programs. It means that Ariel University, for instance, cannot benefit from EU funding, but a member state can decide to fund it or conduct a joint program with it."