EU urged to ban all business with Israel's illegal settlements

In a letter sent Tuesday to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, the groups said that banning trade with illegal settlers is "essential" for the EU and its member states to comply with their obligations under international law.

Reminding last year's International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, the stressed all states have "the obligation ... to abstain from entering into economic or trade dealings with Israel concerning the [OPT] or parts thereof which may entrench its unlawful presence in the territory."

"The EU’s current policy of distinguishing between goods produced in Israel and those produced in settlements falls short of these obligations," read the letter.

It noted that this differentiation still allows such goods to enter the EU market which "contravenes the obligations under international humanitarian law."

They expressed that by trading with illegal Israeli settlements the EU is not only breaching their own legal obligations but also contributing to the serious and systemic human rights and other international law abuses.

"Despite EU consensus about the settlements’ illegality and their link to serious abuses, the EU continues to trade and allow business with them, helping to sustain the serious human rights and international law violations inexorably intertwined with settlements’ maintenance and expansion."

Highlighting the "urgent need for compliance with international law," the letter called on the Commission immediately to introduce legislation to ban trade with and investments in settlements and to issue a reinforced advisory document discouraging European businesses from activities benefitting the Israeli settlements.

A total 163 NGO, including human rights groups like Human Rights Watch, trade unions and different segments of civil society across Europe signed the letter.