Canada Shops Ordered To Stop Labeling West Bank Wines ‘Made In Israel’
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(JTA) — The Liquor Control Board of Ontario, Canada has ordered wine vendors to stop selling wines labeled as “Product of Israel” if they are manufactured in the West Bank.
A letter sent on Tuesday from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario to liquor vendors singles out the Psagot and Shiloh wineries, located in the Ramallah area of the West Bank. The vendors are asked to remove the wine from their shelves and to discontinue importing them.
The board in its letter cites a July 6 ruling by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, or CFIA, which said that “‘Product of Israel’ would not be an acceptable country of origin declaration for wine products that have been made from grapes that are grown, fermented, processed, blended and finished in the West Bank occupied territory.”
The board said it was working with CFIA to ensure compliance with the ruling. The letter added that: “We are currently seeking clarifications from the CFIA on how such wines should be labeled in order to comply with the Food and Drugs Act.”
The Jewish advocacy group B’nai Brith Canada said in a statement issued Wednesday that it expects the CFIA “will soon rescind its recent decision to order the removal of certain Israeli wines from store shelves.”
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