Stop the trades between the European Union and the Occupied Palestinian territories

Translated by Irene Cecchi

In the last few years, the International Community showed growing interest in trading policies that link the European Union to Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. The issue was raised again after February 4th 2025 when a coalition of NGOs, labor unions and civilians wrote a letter to the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, asking to stop trading and doing business with Israeli illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territories like East Jerusalem.

The letter, signed by several stakeholders engaged in human rights protection like Human Rights Watch, ActionAid Italia, Amnesty International, Caritas Europa, UnPontePer, it’s the result of a long path of condemnations to the trade activities with Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since it violates international law, including the IV Geneva Convention. Despite these violations, the EU keeps doing business with Israel, not implementing any measures to keep these goods from entering the European market

Signatory actors demanded two things: implement a legislation that forbids investments and goods and services sales with settlements and also the spread of a warning for companies.

The call to stop this trade business it’s not just symbolic but aims to end the economic complicity between Europe and Israel, a complicity that has been defined illegal by the International Court of Justice. On July 19th 2024 the Court published an historic advisory opinion stating that countries can’t recognise, support nor assist the illegal situation deriving from the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The Court clarified that every country has “the obligation … to refrain from doing business with Israel regarding the [OPT] or some parts of it that may foster its presence on the territories and to implement measures to prevent trading or investing relations that may contribute to the conservation of the illegal situation created by Israel in [OPT]”.

A commercial embargo may reduce Israel economic resources that are then used to expand the settlements, resulting in a change of Israel policies towards the end of the occupation and the re-evaluation of the discussions for a long-lasting peace.

The EU response has been ambiguous: on one hand the EU implemented a foreign policy that formally condemn Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories but on the other hand never imposed direct sanctions or actual measures against business activities with these territories. The European Commission kept a prudent position, avoiding actions that may compromise its economic relations with Israel, a Country that has numerous commercial agreements ongoing.

The request of a commercial embargo by the European Union is not only symbolic but necessary to align with international law and stop any complicity with the abuses. If the EU really wants to attend to its obligations, it should implement adequate measures to block the market of Israeli products produced illegally in the occupied Palestinian territories in the EU.

Mondo Internazionale APS - Riproduzione Riservata ®️ 2025