Today, EU foreign ministers met to discuss banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements. This follows the European Commission listing options to restrict the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements. In response, Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam Humanitarian Spokesperson, said:
“The legal obligation is clear, and EU countries know this. This support must now be translated into an actual ban of trade including of goods and services with illegal Israeli settlements. Any delay not only comes at a human cost but also continues to be a blatant violation of international law.
“Unless these measures stop trade, investments and services with illegal settlements, they risk being another round of political debate. Anything short of a ban is a weak measure open to exploitation.
“We cannot risk another year of debate and can-kicking while trade with illegal settlements and fast-tracked annexation continue.
“The decision should be taken by qualified majority. If every EU country has a veto, the EU risks yet another deadlock.
“The ceasefire in Gaza exists in name only. Meanwhile, Israel’s illegal settlement enterprise continues to expand, and humanitarian organisations are still being prevented from operating.”
Notes aux rédactions
A number of EU countries have asked the EU Commission to put forward concrete options for restricting trade with Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law. In response, the Commission has provided a list of options to restrict trade.
Oxfam calls for the EU to ban trade with Israel’s illegal settlements under Article 207 TFEU to allow for qualified majority voting rather than unanimity. Article 207 TFEU provides the legal basis for the EU’s Common Commercial Policy, where decisions are generally taken by qualified majority voting. This measure will bring EU trade into compliance with international law, including as most authoritatively interpreted by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its landmark advisory opinion of 19 July 2024.
Read the joint letter to the College of Commissioners on banning EU trade with settlements.
Read the 2025 report, Trading with Illegal Settlements: How Foreign States and Corporations Enable Israel’s Illegal Settlement Enterprise.
Contact
Jade Tenwick | Brussels, Belgium | jade.tenwick@oxfam.org | work +32 473 56 22 60 | personal (WhatsApp only) +32 484 81 22 94
For more information on our work and to see our latest press releases, please visit oxfam.org/eu.
For updates, follow us at @OxfamEU, @NewsFromOxfam and on BlueSky. You can also find us on LinkedIn.
A number of EU countries have asked the EU Commission to put forward concrete options for restricting trade with Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law. In response, the Commission has provided a list of options to restrict trade.
Oxfam calls for the EU to ban trade with Israel’s illegal settlements under Article 207 TFEU to allow for qualified majority voting rather than unanimity. Article 207 TFEU provides the legal basis for the EU’s Common Commercial Policy, where decisions are generally taken by qualified majority voting. This measure will bring EU trade into compliance with international law, including as most authoritatively interpreted by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its landmark advisory opinion of 19 July 2024.
Read the joint letter to the College of Commissioners on banning EU trade with settlements.
Read the 2025 report, Trading with Illegal Settlements: How Foreign States and Corporations Enable Israel’s Illegal Settlement Enterprise.
Jade Tenwick | Brussels, Belgium | jade.tenwick@oxfam.org | work +32 473 56 22 60 | personal (WhatsApp only) +32 484 81 22 94
For more information on our work and to see our latest press releases, please visit oxfam.org/eu.
For updates, follow us at @OxfamEU, @NewsFromOxfam and on BlueSky. You can also find us on LinkedIn.