LONDON/PARIS/OTTAWA: Twelve countries — Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom — issued a joint statement on Tuesday announcing plans to introduce or support restrictions on trade in goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which they described as illegal under international law.
The statement said the situation in the West Bank was “rapidly deteriorating” amid what the governments described as unprecedented levels of settler violence and continued settlement expansion. It singled out Israel’s decision to publish tenders for the E1 settlement project as unacceptable and warned that Israeli actions were further undermining prospects for a two-state solution.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed on the need for coordinated action. The UK, France and Canada said they would bring forward national measures banning trade in settlement goods, while the wider group committed to introducing national restrictions, supporting European measures or actively considering further action under their respective domestic procedures.
France confirmed separately that it would begin the process of banning products originating from Israeli settlements. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said settlement expansion and rising violence had brought the West Bank close to a dangerous point, while French officials described the E1 project as a red line. Details and the timetable for implementation of the French ban have yet to be finalised.
The governments also called on Israel to halt settlement expansion, investigate allegations involving Israeli forces and ensure accountability for violence committed by settlers. They reiterated their support for a two-state solution and opposition to the forcible displacement of Palestinians.