Hungary rails against settlement labels

Hungary will defy the European Union’s guidelines for the labeling of settlement goods, the country’s foreign minister says.

“We do not support that decision. It is an inefficient instrument. It is irrational and does not contribute to a solution [to the Palestinian–Israeli conflict], but causes damage,” says Péter Szijjártó, who is also Hungary’s trade minister.

At an event in Jerusalem hosted by the Israel Council on Foreign Relations, Szijjártó also rejects international criticism of Budapest’s policies vis-a-vis the refugee crisis.

“The allegation that Hungary is against the European value of freedom of movement is hypocritical,” he says. “We are only trying to prevent people from crossing our borders illegally.”

— Raphael Ahren