The European Union's wheels of injustice grind slowly, but they eventually churn out their decisions, and the EU is now poised to issue guidelines to its member nations on the labeling of settlement products. The export of settlement products to Europe amounts to only a fraction of all Israeli exports to the continent, but while the immediate repercussions will not be major, no one believes Israel-haters in European will stop there. Boycotting settlement products is only the first step. Europe is likely to crumble under pressure from the Palestinians and from the Muslims overrunning its streets, and it will inch its way toward an overall boycott of Israel. Even if the damage is small, it is still very real. A store owner in Toulouse will not bother to distinguish between a product made in Beit El and one made in Tel Aviv -- he will simply discard both in favor of a product made in Lisbon. Morally speaking, this type of product labeling is akin to the yellow Star of David. It is the first step on a road whose end is unknown. One has to wonder why Israel, which has known of the EU's intention for a while, has failed to take the proper countermeasures. It is unclear what the Foreign Ministry has done so far, or if Public Security, Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy Minister Gilad Erdan has the time, or the budget, to properly address the issue. It is clear, however, that only one government ministry should head the efforts to fight the decision, and the natural choice should be the Foreign Ministry. The first question that has to be answered is what not to do: Israel should avoid imposing a counter-boycott on products made in European countries labeling settlement products. It is likely that only the more hostile European countries would boycott Israeli products, as part of their effort to curry favor with the Palestinians, and such measures by Israel would only exacerbate the situation. Israel should also avoid statements suggesting the Palestinians have more to lose if the EU labels or boycotts settlement products. That is a classic colonial excuse, and Europe is averse to it. The fight against product labeling should be two-pronged: It should include effective public diplomacy, underscoring how unjust the EU's decision is, and how it sanctions anti-Semitism by entities wishing to wipe Israel off the map; and it should include mass Israeli protests. The public should take to the streets and counter the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement's protests one for one. For some reason, Jews no longer protest major political issues en masse. But the fight against product labeling, another yellow star, is too important, and belongs in the public sphere.
