Thousands of Christians visited West Bank settlements — Jerusalem Post

In Israel, thousands of Christians visited Israeli settlements in the West Bank during the annual conference of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. The trips were a protest against recent legislation in a number of European countries banning trade with such settlements, The Jerusalem Post reports.

Visits to local producers

Hundreds of conference participants also visited settlements in the Binyamin and Gush Etzion regions, where they bought locally produced goods. Norwegian Christian leader Dag Julissen visited the Psagot winery.

Julissen called European laws against buying products from Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria a manifestation of antisemitism. He said that opposing such restrictions was a moral stance and compared them to an intention which, he said, would seek to push Jews out of Judea and Samaria.

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The Christian Embassy's position

The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem had previously condemned European countries' trade bans targeting Israeli settlements, including those in the West Bank. The organization said that Israeli authorities should more actively restrain the small number of settlers involved in harassment and violence against Palestinian neighbors, but that this should not be grounds for selective pressure on all Jews living in these areas.

ICEJ also accused European states of double standards, citing the absence of similar sanctions against other territories with disputed status, including Northern Cyprus and Western Sahara. The organization claims that the trade restrictions are politically motivated and intended to influence future elections in Israel.