In
Kattenburg v. Attorney General of Canada, (Federal Ct. Canada, July 29, 2019), a judge of Canada's Federal Court held that labeling wine produced by wineries in the West Bank settlements of Shiloh and Psagot as "Products of Israel" is false, misleading and deceptive in violation of § 7(1) of Canada's Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and § 5(1) of Canada's Food and Drugs Act. The court said in part:
Both parties and both interveners agree that, whatever the legal status of the settlements may be, the fact is that they are not within the territorial boundaries of the State of Israel.
The court added:
[S]ome individuals opposed to the creation of Israeli Settlements in the West Bank express their opposition to the settlements and their support for the Palestinian cause through their purchasing choices, boycotting products produced in the Settlements. In order to be able to express their political views in this manner, however, consumers need to have accurate information as to the origin of the products under consideration. Identifying Settlement Wines incorrectly as “Products of Israel” inhibits the ability of such individuals to express their political views through their purchasing choices, thereby limiting their Charter-protected right to freedom of expression.
The
Globe and Mail reports on the decision.
