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Israel vows to hit back at bid for stirring boycott calls

Xinhua, June 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel is preparing an "offensive" to fend off international calls to boycott the Jewish state over the occupation of Palestinian territories.

"We are in the midst of is establishing an offensive, first of all offensive, but also defensive, network in the face of attempts to boycott the State of Israel," Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.

Israel is under mounting pressure by the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement to end its control over the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which it occupied during the 1976 Mideast War.

Last week, the CEO of Orange, Stephane Richard, said his company will end ties with its Israeli operator Partner, amidst increasing criticism over Partner's activity in the Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Richard retracted his statement on Saturday after an outraged Israeli response, including a request by Netanyahu to the French government to publicly condemn Orange.

"We must line up, Right and Left, to rebuff the pressure, expose the lies and attack those who attack us," Netanyahu told his ministers, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister's Office. "We will gather forces in Israel and around the world to shatter the lies of our enemies," he added.

Earlier on Sunday, Israeli officials told Israel's Ha'aretz newspaper that Jerusalem has launched intensive diplomatic efforts to stall a planned European Union directive to label goods that originate in West Bank settlements, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.

According to Ha'aretz, the labeling of the products has been the main issue on the Foreign Ministry's agenda over recent weeks. The ministry is leading the efforts through Israeli embassies in Europe, and especially through its missions to the EU in Brussels. Endit