Thousands of French protesters have rallied against the import of Israeli goods produced in Palestinian territories.

Monday’s demonstration comes less then a month after the European Union’s Court of Justice ruled that Israeli goods made in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank cannot be considered Israeli.

This means that those products cannot benefit from a trade deal giving Israel preferential access to EU markets.

The protesters, who came from all over France, symbolically gathered in the streets of the Mediterranean port of Sete — a hub for the biggest Israeli food exporter, Agrexco.

Over fifty percent of the company, selling over 300,000 tons of fresh fruits and vegetables to Europe, is owned by the Israeli regime.

“The EU and Israel have agreed that Israel will get preferential import taxes on one condition, the goods should not come from occupied territories. But we knows Agrexco grows its products in the occupied areas and is still benefiting from tax deductions,” Tannich Coupe Sud de France General Secretary said.

“This is a campaign of stigmatization. It’s not an illusion that the economy will be demolished, it’s the image of Israel that we are trying to attack,” Israeli filmmaker Eyal Sivan who also took part in the event told Press TV.

France is one of Israel’s top ten economic partners, a fact that has disappointed many of the French.

Israeli companies based around the illegal West Bank settlements manufacture a host of products including confectionery, wine, cosmetics and computer equipment.

Palestinians have long argued that since the settlements are not part of Israel, the goods made there should not receive trade privileges.

Pro-Palestinian campaigners have also regularly protested that European supermarkets stock goods with Israeli labels on farm products from the West Bank.

The EU has called on Brazil to help resolve the dispute between Iran and the West over Tehran’s nuclear enrichment efforts.

Catherine Ashton, the EU’s foreign policy chief, made the appeal during a meeting with the Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim in Madrid on Monday.

She said that Brazil, as a “global power,” can play a “key role” in resolving the issue.

Ashton added that the EU wants Iran to prove that its nuclear activities are on the right track.

“I think it’s fair to say that we’re looking for clear demonstration of the readiness of Iran to collaborate,” Ashton claimed. “And we want to see it living up to its international obligations.”

“We want to build the confidence and we acknowledge the Iranian rights to peacefully use the nuclear power. But from our perspective, from the EU, this is not happening,” she added.

Amorim also said that his country prefers efforts to solve Iran’s nuclear issue through “dialogue.”

He added that the EU and Brazil recognize Iran’s right to develop a nuclear program and that Tehran needs to “guarantee the international community that it will do so for peaceful purposes.”

Brazil, which maintains good relations with Iran, rejects the harder line taken by the EU and the US over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Iran says its nuclear program is aimed at developing civilian applications of the technology and has repeatedly called for the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction across the globe.

The West, however, accuses the country of seeking military objectives in its nuclear pursuit. The UN’s nuclear watchdog has failed to prove such allegations.

The EU has warned that it will accompany the UN Security Council in punitive action should Iran fail to provide a ‘clear response’ over its nuclear work.

In a draft statement at a summit in Brussels Friday, the leaders of the 27-member bloc said that they would stand behind the UNSC if Iran failed to meet what they described as “its international obligations.”

“Iran’s persistent failure to meet its international obligations and Iran’s apparent lack of interest in pursuing negotiations require a clear response, including through appropriate measures,” the draft document said.

The EU leaders added that they would back action against Iran, which they claim is not cooperating sufficiently with the international community.

“Consistent with the dual-track approach, the European Union would support action by the UNSC if Iran continues not to cooperate with the international community over its nuclear program.”

“The European Union stands ready to take the necessary steps to accompany this UNSC process,” should the United Nations move toward punitive action against Iran, the draft statement said.

The statement comes as the United States and its allies, Britain and France, all among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, are pushing for additional sanctions against Iran.

Iran is already under three rounds of UNSC sanctions over its nuclear work.

US Ambassador Susan Rice said “the international community will have to consider further actions” should Iran continue to fail to meet what she called “its obligations.”

Britain’s UN Ambassador Mark Grant also said that talk of possible fresh sanctions would kick off “at the beginning of the new year” if Tehran goes ahead with its nuclear work, without reassuring the West over its peaceful nature.

His French counterpart Gerard Araud also said that “France will present a new resolution of sanctions” if Iran does not respond to the West’s call to heed UNSC demands.

In a fresh move, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a new resolution against Iran over the construction of its second enrichment facility.

The resolution calls on Tehran to immediately halt construction of the site.

Iran says the resolution is a “politically-motivated” move aimed at mounding pressure on the country and has warned that it could harm “the constructive atmosphere of cooperation.”

The developments come as Western countries, spearheaded by the US, have been pressuring Iran to accept a UN-backed draft deal which wants Iran to send most of its domestically produced low enriched uranium (LEU) abroad to be converted into more refined fuel for the Tehran reactor that produces medical isotopes.

Iranian officials rejected the proposal, first floated by the administration of US President Barack Obama, saying there are no guarantees that the country would in fact receive the fuel it requires.

Tehran says it is ready to accept the nuclear swap only if the West can win back its trust.

Tehran defends its nuclear work as totally peaceful and within the framework of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), to which it is signatory.

The EU foreign ministers will consider options for the next steps against Iran in an upcoming meeting in Brussels on January 25.

European Union Leaders have failed to reach consensus on a financial plan that would help developing nations deal with climate change.

Discord grew in the two-day EU summit in Brussels over how much financial assistance underdeveloped countries would need to deal with global warming and who should foot the bill.

The summit, chaired by Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, whose country currently presides over the 27-bloc of nations, drew unsuccessfully to a close, without a clear path to follow.

“We are still working on putting together what the European countries on a voluntary basis are able to do,” he said following revelation of various eastern European nations’ reluctance to commit more funds to help curb CO2 and CH4 emissions.

“We will work through the night to see that we get all the resources in place,” the Associated Press quoted Reinfeldt as saying on Thursday.

The failure of EU leaders to agree on even a provisional financial plan comes amid calls for a united front on global warming.

Scientists maintain that the Copenhagen climate summit is ‘the last chance’ to save the planet’s ecosystem. Some developed countries need to cut their current carbon dioxide emissions by up to 40 percent over the next decade in order ease global warming issues such as air contamination, food problems, droughts and the scarcity of clean water.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the Western powers are concerned about Tehran’s steady progress in becoming energy independent rather than its alleged potential to build a nuclear bomb.

“The [Western] powers are in fact afraid of Iran’s many accomplishments in nuclear technology, rather than its capability to produce a nuclear bomb,” Ahmadinejad said in an interview with Turkey’s TRT TV channel.

Speaking ahead of a high-level visit to Turkey, the Iranian president said the nuclear issue has been “over-politicized” in recent years.

Mindful of the West’s disgruntlement about Istanbul’s growing relations with Tehran, Ahmadinejad insisted that he does not intend to “come between Turkey and its Western neighbors.”

“Iran has asked Turkey to strengthen ties with its eastern neighbors, but this should not be seen as a call for Turkey to break ties with Western countries,” he noted.

The Iranian president made the comments as he prepares for a three-day conference of the Permanent Committee of Social and Economic Cooperation (COMSEC), which kicks off in Istanbul on Sunday.

On a different note, Ahmadinejad said he supported Turkey’s bid to become a full member of the European Union, adding that it would “promote EU credibility even more.”

Turkey’s accession to the EU has been a subject of heated debate over the past few years. The country began full membership negotiations with European countries in 2005.

Iran’s delegation to the third committee of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday criticized human rights violations in the European Union, Canada and the US.

The delegation had a very active presence in the committee which specializes on human rights issues.

The Iranian delegation further criticized the attitude and practice of certain countries which were trying to introduce themselves as patrons of human rights in the world but in reality had an unacceptable record full of human rights breaches including racial and religious discrimination.

According to the Islamic republic news agency, it said such countries tried to cover up their real performance by attacking other countries on the issue of human rights.

Outlining human rights violation cases in Europe, Canada and America, the Iranian representatives stressed the remarkable increase in cases of racial, religious and ethnic discrimination in those countries in the past few years.

They stressed that Muslims together with other religious minorities were subject to extensive rhetorical and physical abuses and suffered from incredible discriminatory views by employers who deny them equal job opportunities and make unequal payments to them.

The delegation further pointed out that Muslims in these countries lacked the freedom to carry out their religious rituals in public places and were even sometimes facing restrictions in wearing Hijab.

Regarding human rights situation in Canada, the Iranian delegation said ethnic Canadians were facing severe discrimination and enjoyed a much lower living standard compared to other Canadians while violence against ethnic women was a common practice and they were easy victims for Police and rapists.

As for the discriminatory acts racial and ethnic minorities especially the skin-colored, Hispanics or Afro-Americans were subject to in the US, the delegation expressed severe criticism over violation of their rights in the American society.

The delegation also noted that the US administration had continuously and vehemently supported the savage killing of people in Palestine by the Zionist regime as well as the torture and inhuman treatment of Palestinians by the occupying regime.

It said the recent position taken by the US government in outspokenly objecting the statement issued by the UN Human Rights Council on the crimes of the Zionist regime in Gaza just revealed that the American administration simply had to respect for human rights for Palestinians.

Official results show that Ireland has overwhelmingly voted in favor of the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty which plans to modernize and strengthen the 27-nation bloc’s institutions.

According to the final results of a re-run referendum published Saturday, 67.13 percent supported the reform plans against 32.87 percent.

“Today the Irish people have spoken with a clear and resounding voice,” Prime Minister Brian Cowen told reporters in Dublin Saturday. “It is a good day for Ireland and it is a good day for Europe.”

The result is a relief for Cowen, who would have been likely to lose his job had it gone the other way. His center-left coalition has lost its technical majority in parliament and is suffering in opinion polls.

The Lisbon Treaty, the successor to the European Union Constitution, is publicized as a necessary update to streamline Brussels institutions.

The controversial treaty would create a new EU president and secretary of state as the world’s largest political and economic alliance encompassing almost 500 million people seeks to align its foreign policy.

EU leaders have agreed to implement the reforms to help the bloc play a more critical role on the global stage.

Sweden has summoned the Iranian ambassador to protest the trial of those detained in post-election protests, says Foreign Minister Carl Bildt.

Bildt also said the European Union was prepared to take ‘further steps’ to secure the release of local embassy employees and a French national held in Iran.

“We called in the Iranian ambassador to the foreign ministry to reiterate and reinforce this message and tell him what kind of measures we expect from Iran. On this and other issues,” Bildt said in a Tuesday interview with Swedish Radio.

Iran has put on trial a number of individuals over their involvement in the unrest that fallowed the 10th presidential election, which saw incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared winner by a landslide.

Among the defendants in the dock are well-known political figures, activists, local staff working for the British and French Embassies in Iran as well as a female French academic.

“We are prepared to take further steps if necessary, naturally in consultation with all 27 EU member states. But I believe Iran is aware that we are prepared to take further steps,” Bildt said without elaborating.

“I don’t think one should go into that until the time has come. Right now we expect them to be released. If they are not released, we will see what happens then.”

In a Sunday statement, the EU’s Swedish presidency voiced concern over the trial, saying the EU considered it a move against the entire 27-member bloc.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry rejected the EU statement, saying it lacked legal basis as the trial of the staff and the citizen was being carried out ‘in accordance with international law’.

The EU has lashed out at Tehran, over the trial of the British and French embassy staff, who were arrested in connection with Iran’s post-election riots.

“The presidency expresses its concern over the ongoing trial in Tehran in the aftermath of the election, including against two EU member states’ embassy employees and one EU citizen,” the statement by the EU’s Swedish presidency said in a Saturday statement.

“The presidency reiterates that action against one EU country, citizen or embassy staff, is considered an action against all of the EU,” it added.

The EU warning came after a Saturday morning hearing at Tehran’s Revolution Court, where British and French embassy staff were among the suspects facing trial.

Hossein Rassam, who worked as a senior political analyst for the British Embassy in Tehran and is now facing “spying” charges, told the court that he had been gathering information on post-election unrest for the British government at the request of his superiors.

“Based on the order of British embassy, the local staff were asked to be present in the riots along with [Second Secretary of British Embassy] Tom Burn and Paul Blemey,” Rassam said referring to two British diplomats expelled by Iran in June.

His appearance in court has angered the UK government, which has responded by calling the trial an “unacceptable” “outrage” and the confessions unreliable.

“This… contradicts assurances we had been given repeatedly by senior Iranian officials… We deplore these trials and the so-called confessions of prisoners who have been denied their basic human rights,” a Foreign Office spokeswoman told reporters.

Nazak Afshar, the French Embassy worker on trial, also addressed the court, admitting that she had taken part in post-election demonstrations, sent emails containing information on the riots, and let rioters into the embassy based on orders given by her employers.

She also commented on how she had been treated after her arrest, pointing out that “the brothers at the intelligence ministry”, who were “very kind” to her had made her realize her mistakes.

Other than the two embassy workers, who are Iranian nationals, a detained French lecturer, also faced trial on Saturday, where she admitted to writing to the French embassy about Iran’s nuclear power program and its post-vote developments.

“I should not have taken part in illegal protests… I regret (my activities)… I apologize to the Iranian nation and the court and hope they will pardon me,” said the 24-year-old Frenchwoman, Clotilde Reiss, while apologizing “to the Iranian nation and court”.

Meanwhile, Paris urged Iran to free Reiss and Afshar. In an official statement, the French Foreign Ministry said that the espionage charges against the two were baseless.

Iran has accused Britain and other Western governments of plotting the violent riots.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki says Western countries – especially Britain – interfered in Iran’s affairs and share the blame for the post-vote casualties in Iran.

“Britain’s policies towards Iran have been hostile and meddlesome, and of course they were defeated in the face the Iranian nation’s resistance,” Mottaki said during a pre-sermon address to worshippers gathered for the Friday Prayers at Tehran University.

“In these [post-election] events, not all Western countries behaved the same, and it is Britain that has the worst record. It interferes the most in the internal affairs of other countries and it still entertains fantasies of the Great British Empire,” Mottaki elaborated, as reported by ILNA news agency.

In an apparent reference to the BBC, Mottaki alleged that Britain interfered in Iran in the aftermath of the disputed presidential election, “through television channels, which taught ways of creating disturbance, and preparing explosives, and this means that they share the responsibility for the post-election events and killings.”

He said that he had spoken on the telephone with Carl Bildt, the Foreign Minister of Sweden, which is the current holder of the rotating European Union (EU) presidency.

“I said that the EU is going through a transitory period. After following US policies unilaterally, it has now adopted certain anti-Iran policies and it must reconsider these,” Mottaki described his telephone discussion.

He then turned to the recent events in China, and the killings of a large number of Muslims in China’s northwestern province of Xinjiang. His ministry has come under severe criticism from different quarters in Iran, especially by senior clerics, who considered it dichotomous that Tehran complained vociferously about the killing of a Muslim woman by a criminal in a German court, but remained silent in the face of the death of Chinese Muslims.

Mottaki said that, while he did mention the violence in Xinjiang to Chinese officials, he did not want to interfere in China’s “internal affairs or their national unity.”

With regards to Iran’s relations with the US, the Foreign Minister said, “We have been following [US President Barak] Obama’s words since before his election, and we say, if you believe that everyone should participate in international affairs, then why are you not committed to its prerequisite?”

He emphasized that Iran would welcome any changes in words or actions from the White House.

Nevertheless, any negotiations “must have clear objectives. What practical steps from the US have there been?”