A total of 12 Western countries announced their intention to implement national restrictions or support European measures on trade in goods with Israeli settlements established in the West Bank, which are considered illegal under international law.
The foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom They issued a joint statement to denounce that "the actions of the Israeli government in the West Bank are undermining the possibility of a two-state solution."
Furthermore, the diplomats warned that "the situation is deteriorating rapidly amid unprecedented levels of settler violence and settlement expansion."
The governments of the United Kingdom, France, and Canada indicated that they will introduce national measures to prohibit trade in products from settlements, joining the actions implemented by authorities in Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, and Belgium.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed on the need to act to prevent further damage, particularly after Israel's decision to issue tenders for E1, a settlement expansion project east of Jerusalem, which was described as "unacceptable" in the statement.
They stated that these three countries are "actively considering these and other measures" in accordance with their national procedures.
Furthermore, the authorities of the 12 countries affirmed their determination to protect the two-state solution and assured that they would take "actions in pursuit of a just and lasting peace" based on the principles enshrined in the New York Declaration adopted a year ago.
They also emphasized that they strongly oppose actions that amount to the annexation of Palestinian territory and "the forced displacement of the Palestinian population."
In another part of the statement, they demanded that the Israeli government immediately halt this expansion of settlements and civilian administrative powers, as well as ensure accountability for settler violence and investigate allegations against the occupying forces.
