Despite increasing US and international criticism of Israeli actions in the occupied Palestinian territories, Washington continues to send military aid to Israel and contribute to the Zionist regime’s illegal occupation, a researcher and historian in Washington says.
“We can’t ignore that the United States is going to increase the amount of money given to Israel, mostly militarily, to continue to kill and persecute and harm the Palestinian people,” Dr. Randy Short said in an interview with Press TV on Friday.
“The money that the United States gives to Israel, the lowball number is $3 billion but is probably as much as $5 to $10 billion a year,” Dr. Short said.
“The recent aggressions in Gaza and the shootings and torture of youth, abuse of men, girls and boys and women has picked up” he added.
Last week, the United States warned Israel that products imported from the occupied West Bank should not be erroneously labeled as “made in Israel.”
The guidelines were reissued last week by US Customs authorities in response to repeated Israeli mislabeling of West Bank products.
US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said on Thursday the decision to reissue the policy had been taken after mislabeling complaints.
"US Customs and Border Protection reissued guidance on their marking requirements," he told reporters in Washington, DC. "It in no way supersedes prior rulings or regulations.”
The US Customs statement, visible on the agency's website, restates the terms of 1995 and 1997 laws requiring that products from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank be labeled as such.
"It is not acceptable to mark the aforementioned goods with the words 'Israel,' 'Made in Israel,' 'Occupied Territories-Israel' or any variation thereof," the statement said.
Some Israeli settlers who live illegally in the occupied West Bank are known to label products for export as being from Israel.
The European Union also recently acted to ban the practice. The European Commission in November of last year adopted new guidelines on labeling of products from the settlements illegally constructed by Israel on the occupied Palestinian territories.
“At one they’re saying to these products that are not labeled properly, and I guess if you label them still the money will go to the Zionist state of Israel and not the Palestinian people whose land has been stolen,” Dr. Short said.