Brussels – Ban trade between the European Union and Israel’s illegal settlements in the Palestinian Territories: This is the “urgent appeal” that over one hundred Members of the European Parliament (114 as at 15 September) are making to the President Ursula von der Leyen—on the eve of her State of the Union address—calling on the European Commission to put forward a “legislative proposal” to definitively end trade relations. The letter has been initiated by the Irish MEP from Renew Europe, Barry Andrews, and is supported by other members of Renew as well as MEPs from the Socialists (S&D), the Left, the Greens and even some from the European People’s Party (four Irish, one Belgian and one Finnish MEP). Among the Italians, the letter was signed unanimously by the delegations of the PD, the Green-Left Alliance and the Five Star Movement.
“We are writing to you ahead of your State of the European Union address and following the
joint statement by the Foreign Ministers on the two-state solution, of 8 September.
We urge you to finally put forward a legislative proposal to ban EU trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories,” write the MEPs, highlighting that “the European Union has long claimed a leadership role in the region, as one of the main supporters of the two-state solution,” but that “it is the United Kingdom and Canada, two of our key partners, that have committed to acting in support of this objective by banning trade with the settlements.” Within the EU, meanwhile, “France has now committed to doing the same” and “other Member States have already adopted or are about to adopt national trade bans.” “A joint and coherent action by the EU” is therefore “necessary”.
Furthermore, in a
joint statement, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Prime Minister Mark Carney emphasised that “a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is fundamental to peace, stability and security in the Middle East and beyond” and that “it is a fundamental national interest for Canada, France and the United Kingdom to protect and ensure this outcome.” For MEPs, it is clear: “
The EU must now stand alongside its key allies committed to upholding international law,” not least because “the urgency to act has increased since the Israeli government issued a tender for the E1 settlement on 18 August, breaching a long-standing EU red line.”
In all this, it is also pointed out that, for the Berlaymont Building, this is an obligation, not an option. The Commission is the “guardian of the EU Treaties”, which “requires compliance with international law in the EU’s external action (Articles 3(5) and 21 TEU)”, and for this reason “must propose an appropriate regulation without further delay” because “partial measures, such as increasing tariffs or strengthening the current differentiation policy, do not satisfy the obligations laid down by the International Court of Justice and would prolong the EU’s failure to comply with international law.”
Finally, European citizens are also calling for this, not only as they have demonstrated in the many street protests over recent years, but also through their swift and widespread support for the
European Citizens’ Initiative calling on the Commission to take action to end the EU-Israel Association Agreement. “
Our citizens are calling for concrete action. While our credibility on the international stage has already been damaged by inaction, a legislative proposal will represent a positive step in the right direction. We therefore urge the Commission to propose the necessary regulation and would welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter further,” the letter concludes. Over to President von der Leyen.
