International News Week of November 17

U.K. To Label Produce From Israel

The UK has announced a plan to clearly label fruits and vegetables that are produced and imported from Israel, the Telegraph reports.The plan is meant to give consumers in supermarkets across the EU awareness that their purchases were giving financial support to the Israeli communities in the occupied West Bank. Under international law, Israel’s policy of building Jewish communities on the occupied West Bank is illegal. Israel posits that this is a move by the British left-wing to further ostracize Israel.

 

Oregon Judge Rules Against Treasury

A federal judge in Oregon has ruled that the Treasury Department violated the rights of the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation by freezing their assets under a law prohibiting material support for terrorists, The Seattle PI reports. U.S. District Judge Garr King said the Treasury Department violated the charity’s due process rights by failing to provide it with any basis for the designation, as well as the law being unconstitutionally vague on the provision of “material support” to any group given the terrorist designation.

 

U.N. Expresses Concern Over Gaza Conditions

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed concern for the deteriorating situation in Gaza and southern Israel, calling for an end to rocket attack and emphasizing that measures that increase the hardship and suffering of the civilian population of the area are “unacceptable and should cease immediately.” He is concerned that food and other aid is being denied to hundreds of thousands of people, and has called on Israel to allow unimpeded activities of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

 

Church In Russia Dismantled, Sold

Officials in a central Russian region say an abandoned church that was to be put back into use has been dismantled and stolen by local villagers, CNN reports. Orthodox officials say they last saw the church in late July, but by October villagers from Komarovo had taken apart the building and sold the bricks for one ruble (four cents) each to a local businessman.  Police are investigating the theft.

 

Israeli Army Permits Aid Trucks Into Gaza 

The Israeli army said 33 tracks have been allowed into Gaza, while the United Nations refugee agency said eight trucks with powder milk and lunch meat were allowed in, BBC reports.  Militant group Hamas controls the Gaza strip, which Israel sealed off, apart from some fuel supplies.