Israel protests South African labeling law

JERUSALEM – Israel is condemning a new South African regulation requiring that products made in West Bank settlements must be labeled as coming from "occupied Palestinian territory."

Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor calls the requirement "totally unacceptable."

In a statement late Wednesday, Palmor said such measures have not been imposed, "and rightly so, in any other case of national, territorial or ethnic conflict."

He said, "What is totally unacceptable is the use of tools which, by essence, discriminate and single out, fostering a general boycott."

Pro-Palestinian groups have been promoting a campaign to boycott Israeli products and withdraw investments from Israeli companies.

The European Union does not grant the same customs concessions to products made in settlements as it does to those made in Israel, a policy that has drawn Israeli protests.