Photos from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Israel. Pompeo also visited the Psagot winery, becoming the top American diplomat in history to visit an Israel-controlled portion of the West Bank.
Enjoyed lunch at the scenic Psagot Winery today. Unfortunately, Psagot and other businesses have been targeted by pernicious EU labeling efforts that facilitate the boycott of Israeli companies. The U.S. stands with Israel and will not tolerate any form of delegitimization. pic.twitter.com/7jo2TazehH
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) November 19, 2020
Incredible visit today to Qasr al-Yahud, the site where tradition holds that Jesus was baptized. This site has immense importance for many believers, and I was pleased to see the expansion of tourism and access for visitors of all faiths. pic.twitter.com/JWsfYP8wzH
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) November 19, 2020
Met with @netanyahu in Jerusalem today to discuss countering Iran's malign influence and the success of the historic Abraham Accords. While the U.S. has always been a strong friend of Israel, under @realDonaldTrump’s leadership we stand side by side like never before. pic.twitter.com/q5ks5hYqIj
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) November 19, 2020
Wonderful to see the work being done to preserve the ancient @City_of_David and the new discoveries by archaeologists working in the area. Thank you to Ze’ev Orenstein for the fascinating tour of the site of three thousand years of ancient history. pic.twitter.com/oA0FFQ3maP
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) November 19, 2020
Honored to meet with @Netanyahu and Dr. Al Zayani in Jerusalem. The historic Abraham Accords have put the region on a transformative path toward stability, security, and opportunity. pic.twitter.com/EgCjiqp5Yu
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) November 18, 2020
Statement from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
USA to allow settlement products to be labeled ‘Made in Israel’ in a change to longstanding policy.
Today, the Department of State is initiating new guidelines to ensure that country of origin markings for Israeli and Palestinian goods are consistent with our reality-based foreign policy approach. In accordance with this announcement, all producers within areas where Israel exercises the relevant authorities – most notably Area C under the Oslo Accords - will be required to mark goods as “Israel”, “Product of Israel”, or “Made in Israel” when exporting to the United States. This approach recognizes that Area C producers operate within the economic and administrative framework of Israel and their goods should be treated accordingly. This update will also eliminate confusion by recognizing that producers in other parts of the West Bank are for all practical purposes administratively separate and that their goods should be marked accordingly.
Goods in areas of the West Bank where the Palestinian Authority maintains relevant authorities shall be marked as products of “West Bank” and goods produced in Gaza will be marked as products of “Gaza.” Under the new approach, we will no longer accept “West Bank/Gaza” or similar markings, in recognition that Gaza and the West Bank are politically and administratively separate and should be treated accordingly.
We remain committed to an enduring and sustainable peace as outlined in President Trump’s Vision for Peace. We will continue to oppose those countries and international institutions which delegitimize or penalize Israel and Israeli producers in the West Bank through malicious measures that fail to recognize the reality on the ground.
Amazing- Keep the ties between these 2 great nations strong!!