Spain and eleven more countries are considering rejecting trade with Israeli colonies in the West Bank
The settlements, which Netanyahu's government is expanding in an accelerated manner, are illegal according to international law
BarcelonaEleven European countries, including Spain, in addition to Canada, denounce the deterioration of the situation in the West Bank and have announced that they are considering restricting the trade of products originating from Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law. In a joint statement published this Tuesday in Paris, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden have stated that the expansion of settlements and settler violence in the Palestinian territory bordering Jordan put at risk the prospect of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
In an initiative led by French President Emmanuel Macron and by the British and Canadian Prime Ministers, Andy Burnham and Mark Carney, respectively, the signatory countries have described as unacceptable the decision of Benjamin Netanyahu's government to move forward with the tenders for the E1 settlement project, which provides for a large colony near Jerusalem, which would divide the West Bank.
France, the United Kingdom, and Canada have indicated that they will propose national measures to prohibit the trade of goods originating from the settlements, and have acknowledged the initiatives previously adopted by Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, and Belgium in this area. In the declaration, the signatories maintain that the two-state solution must be protected and reaffirm their commitment to a "just and lasting" peace, based on the principles of the New York Declaration adopted a year ago.
These governments have also opposed any measure that could lead to the annexation of Palestinian territory or the forced displacement of the Palestinian population, as openly advocated by Netanyahu and his ministers. It also responds to the growing violence perpetrated by settlers against Palestinian populations with the open complicity of the Israeli army.
The signatories have asked the Israeli government to immediately put an end to the expansion of settlements and civil administrative powers in the West Bank. They have also demanded that settlers responsible for acts of violence be held accountable and that complaints against Israeli forces be investigated. At the same time, they have recognized Israel's right to ensure its security and have reiterated their condemnation of the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, which they have described as the worst antisemitic attack since the Holocaust. The countries have also stated that they will continue to fight antisemitism and have reaffirmed their support for a two-state solution, in accordance with UN resolutions.
In response to this move, Israel has announced the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem, which has a special status dating back to before the creation of the State of Israel. Furthermore, it has also announced a ban on entry into Israel for twelve United Kingdom citizens, including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
An illegal barrier within the West Bank
In the advisory opinion Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (2004), the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concluded that both Israeli settlements and the barrier that Israel was just beginning to build in the West Bank violated international law. A portion of this barrier has been built within the West Bank, and not entirely on the Israeli side of the Green Line.
In January 2023, according to Israeli authorities, there were 144 Israeli settlements in the West Bank, 12 of which were in East Jerusalem, in addition to 196 outposts, settler nuclei that had not been authorized but which have institutional support. In total, about 650,000 settlers live in these colonies, while the Palestinian population is about two million inhabitants.
The UN has reiterated on numerous occasions that the construction of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories violates the Fourth Geneva Convention. For decades, the United States also considered Israeli settlements illegal, but the first Donald Trump administration reversed this policy in November 2019 and declared that "the establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not, per se, inconsistent with international law". The Joe Biden administration reversed this position again in February 2024 and considered once more that the expansion of Israeli settlements was "inconsistent with international law".