WNAM MONITORING: France has decided to ban trade in goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and supports extending the measure across the EU, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
“There is now a political decision that has been taken to ban in France products originating from the settlements. It is decided, and it is major,” said spokesperson Pascal Confavreux.
The decision comes in response to “the deterioration of the situation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the intensification of settlement activity, the possible irreversibility of this, and the non-respect of international law on the ground,” said Confavreux.
He pointed in particular to Israeli plans for the E1 settlement area, saying that demands for tenders published in August for construction of part of the settlement’s housing “directly threaten the territorial continuity of the West Bank and therefore, de facto, the two-state solution.”
“The decision we have taken is in accordance with international law, since Israeli settlements are illegal under international law,” said Confavreux.
He cited a July 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice, which he said established an obligation not to maintain economic or commercial relations with Israel concerning the occupied Palestinian territory when relations would strengthen its unlawful presence there.
Confavreux rejected describing the measure as a boycott of Israel.
“This measure prohibiting [such trade] absolutely does not constitute a boycott of the State of Israel. It specifically targets the occupied Palestinian territories,” he said, stressing that the territories “do not belong to the internationally recognized territory of Israel.”
“Israel remains an economic partner of France, and we will continue to work to strengthen economic and commercial exchanges between our two countries,” he added.
France has already carried out significant preparatory work for the ban, but additional work is needed to settle legal and technical details, including the traceability and verification of goods, the legal mechanism and the timetable for implementation, according to the Confavreux.
He said France wants the measure to be extended across the EU and is awaiting a proposal from the European Commission.
“There is no majority at the European level, so we are moving forward at the national level, collectively with other states,” said Confavreux.
He said the decision was driven by “an urgency on the ground, colonization and violence,” as well as the need to act despite the lack of an EU-wide majority.
“The Commission must put a proposal on the table to act, and at this stage, it is the Commission that refuses, and that is why we are acting at our level,” he said.
Confavreux denied any link between the decision and Israel’s upcoming elections. “Absolutely not, absolutely not,” he said.
He said the measure was part of France’s continued efforts to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution amid accelerating settlement activity and violence.
“The application of international law does not merit retaliatory measures,” he said on possible Israeli retaliation.
12 countries announce measures on illegal Israeli settlements
The foreign ministers of the 12 countries announced in a statement Tuesday that they would impose or consider trade restrictions on goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The countries said Israel’s actions in the West Bank were undermining prospects for a two-state solution and stressed the need to preserve the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state.
Israel subsequently announced that it would close the UK’s consulate in occupied East Jerusalem, which serves Palestinians, in response to the measures.
