As S.O.S Der, our message to the European Union is clear: The time for condemnation is over. The time for concrete sanctions has come.
We welcome as an important development the announcement by 12 states, including the United Kingdom, France, Canada and nine European countries, of their intention to introduce trade restrictions against Israel's illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
As S.O.S Der, our message to the European Union is clear:
The time for condemnation is over. The time for concrete sanctions has come.
If the European Union recognises that Israeli settlements are contrary to international law, it must no longer allow products originating from these settlements to enter the European market.
The United Kingdom and France's decision to move towards banning imports from Israeli settlements demonstrates that political will for concrete action exists in Europe. The willingness expressed by countries including Ireland, Spain, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark and Finland to support stronger measures presents an important opportunity for the EU.
The European Union must now turn this political will into a common and binding policy.
S.O.S Der calls on EU Member States to:
- Ban the entry of goods originating from Israeli settlements into the EU market;
- Expand targeted sanctions against individuals and entities that finance or support the settlements;
- Reassess existing trade relations with Israel in accordance with international law and human rights obligations.
International law cannot be defended through words alone; it must be protected by imposing concrete consequences for violations.
The European Union now faces a choice:
It can either continue with condemnations or put the principles of international law it claims to uphold into practice through concrete sanctions.
S.O.S Der calls on the European Union to ban imports from Israeli settlements, impose sanctions on individuals and entities supporting settlement activities, and urgently implement other effective measures required by international law against Israel's illegal settlement policy.
S.O.S Der
Association for Combating Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide