Arab and Islamic countries welcome Britain's decision to ban imports of Israeli settlement goods
- Called on the international community to take similar measures and halt activities supporting settlement in the occupied Palestinian territories
Arab and Islamic countries welcomed on Wednesday the decision by the United Kingdom government to ban the import of goods from Israel’s “illegal” settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, and to impose restrictions on services linked to these settlements.
This came in a joint statement issued by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Turkey, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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The joint statement expressed hope that this decision would help mobilize the international community to take similar measures consistent with international law, and to hold accountable the settlement organizations and individuals involved in illegal settlement activities.
It welcomed a statement on the two-state solution issued by the foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, in which those countries affirmed their intention to impose national restrictions or support the imposition of European restrictions on trade in goods with the illegal settlements under international law, or to seriously consider adopting these and other measures in accordance with the national procedures of each country.
The joint statement encouraged the international community to build on these steps and take concrete measures to put an end to activities that support or contribute to the continuation of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.
It noted that the announced trends are consistent with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, including Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016), and the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on July 19, 2024, including the obligation of all states not to recognize the legality of the situation arising from the illegal Israeli occupation, and not to provide aid or assistance in maintaining the situation arising from the Israeli occupation.
In this context, the joint statement renewed its call on the Israeli occupation to cancel all measures taken regarding settlement activities and other actions aimed at altering the geographical and demographic character of the occupied Palestinian territory.
It stressed that the Gaza Strip is an inseparable part of the occupied Palestinian territory, calling for the “full and immediate” implementation of President Trump’s comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza, ensuring security and stability, addressing humanitarian conditions, facilitating reconstruction and recovery efforts, and laying the foundations for lasting peace.
The statement affirmed that the only viable path to achieving a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace lies in implementing the two-state solution, through the establishment of an independent, sovereign, geographically contiguous, and viable State of Palestine on the basis of the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.
