Israelis get a last-time opportunity to raise a glass of Psagot wine in a robust Lechayim to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is paying a visit to the winery this week. The brand, “Pompeo,” has been sold by this winery for about a year, it is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot, with a label bearing the secretary’s name – a thank you gift, if you will, for his statement that the settlement enterprise does not violate international law.
This will be the first time ever that a US Secretary of State visits an Israeli settlement in Judea and Samaria, seeing as until 2019 the US position was that these settlements actually were in violation of international law. In addition, Pompeo is expected to visit the Golan Heights, including, possibly, Trump Heights, the town named as a show of gratitude for the administration’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
The president already owns a winery – Trump Winery, in Virginia, which is owned and operated by Trump’s son Eric, under the name Eric Trump Wine Manufacturing LLC.
The Psagot Winery website posted this note, alongside an image of its Pompeo wine:
Following the European Court of Justice ruling that products manufactured in Judea and Samaria, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights must not say Made in Israel, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a proclamation indicating the legality of Israel’s position in these areas. As a show of gratitude and appreciation, we at Psagot Winery produced a limited edition of wine named Pompeo.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday organized a mass protest against Secretary Pompeo’s expected tour of “a colonial settlement winery.” The protesters “waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans against Pompeo’s anticipated visit to the Psagot Winery, part of the Israeli colonial settlement of Psagot, established on stolen Palestinian land.”
We took a look at this picture of the mass protest – we think there were about 50 demonstrators. So, it’s safe to say many PA Arabs didn’t give a hoot.
According to WAFA, the protest was attended by a host of officials, including Deputy Chairman of Fatah Mahmoud al-Aloul and Mahmoud Shaltaf, a representative of al-Bireh Municipality, near Psagot.
Al-Aloul told the crowd that “President Donald Trump’s administration is not only biased towards Israel but is also complicit in consolidating the Israeli occupation and colonial settlement projects given its radical pro-Israel moves, including the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital, declaring settlements as no longer violating international law as well as recognizing Israel’s sovereignty on the occupied Golan Heights.”
Too bad they’re not allowed to sample the Pompeo wine, being Muslim and all.
Non-Muslims interested in purchasing the limited-edition Pompeo wine could contact the Psagot winery visitor center at 011-972-2-997-9333.
Lechayim.