60+ British lawmakers demand ban on imports from Israeli settlements
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Over 60 British officials have signed a letter demanding their government to adhere to international law and end trade relations with illegal Israeli settlements.
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Akef Abu Alia, 48, inspects the damage at his torched house and vehicles, in the West Bank village of al-Mughayyir, Saturday, April 13, 2024 (AP)
More than 60 members of the British Parliament and officials from multiple political parties have demanded a ban on goods and products imported from illegal Israeli settlements, the Mirror reported.
The demand was made in a letter signed and addressed to the United Kingdom's Foreign Minister David Lammy and its Trade Minister Jonathan Reynolds, according to the website.
The signees indicated that they believed resolving decades of "conflict" entailed respecting international law, meaning the UK's trade with "Israel" must adhere to its human rights and international law commitments.
The letter further stated that the current trade and investment ties with "Israel" do not meet the required standards, urging the ministers to correct that.
"Benjamin Netanyahu's government has acted with impunity, and the international community's failure to take action is disgraceful," Labour MP Brian Leishman stated, adding that "The UK government has said it wants to follow international law but by trading with Israel so that the Israeli economy benefits, then the Netanyahu government’s war crimes are being legitimized."
Britain must "show international and moral leadership, and stop trading goods from illegal Israeli settlements," he stated.
Meanwhile, Tim Bierley, campaign manager at Global Justice Now, said “The government’s rightful condemnation of settler violence and expansion rings hollow when it is seemingly willing to turn a blind eye to the import of illegal settlement goods.”
Bierley stressed that the UK's imposition of a ban on the import of goods produced, in whole or in part, in illegal settlements would be an essential first step towards complying with the country's international obligations.
Global NGOs urge EU to halt trade with illegal Israeli settlements
Earlier this month, more than 160 NGOs and trade unions urged the European Union (EU) to ban trade and business dealings with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
In a letter directed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the organizations called for measures to align with international law and end Europe’s involvement in supporting the illegal settlement enterprise and its associated violations.
"We, the undersigned human rights organizations, trade unions, and civil society groups, urge the European Commission to take action to ban all trade and business between the EU and Israel's illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), including East Jerusalem," the letter stated.
The groups emphasized that such action is of utmost importance for the EU to comply with based on their obligations under international law. Thus, the EU’s current policy of differentiating between goods produced in occupied Palestine and those produced in illegal settlements falls short of these obligations, the statement explained.
Not only does this policy contradict international law obligations but also those established by the International Court of Justice, both of which require a "complete ban on trade and business with Israel’s illegal settlements."
Moreover, the signatories underscored that the bloc and its member states' trade with Israeli illegal settlements also contribute to active and significant human rights violations.
