With the letter we urge the European Commission to take action to prohibit all trade and business between the EU and Israel’s illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem. This is essential step for the EU and its member states to fulfill their obligations under international law.
The Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory are illegal under international law. Their construction and expansion by Israel are serious violations of international humanitarian law and go hand in hand with systematic human rights violations against the Palestinian population. For years we’ve been advocating to ensure that the Netherlands and the European Union adhere to their obligations under international law, thus not to contribute to serious violations. We also hold financial institutions and companies involved with illegal settlements accountable for their responsibilities. We do this, amongst others, through our annual Don’t Buy Into Occupation report.
The advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice from last year once again confirmed that countries have the obligation ‘to refrain from establishing economic or trade relations with Israel concerning [occupied Palestinian territory] or parts thereof that may strengthen Israel’s unlawful presence in the area’ and ‘to take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that contribute to the maintenance of the illegal situation created by Israel in occupied Palestinian territory.’
