Key facts
- Oxfam welcomed the UK's ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
- Oxfam urged the UK to extend the ban to include all services and investments in these settlements.
- Oxfam called for an immediate halt to all arms sales to Israel that could be used to violate international law.
- BDS co-founder Omar Barghouti criticized the UK's settlement trade ban as 'performative' and insufficient.
- The International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion on settlement trade in July 2024.
Oxfam has welcomed the UK's recent announcement of a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank but is urging the government to implement broader measures. The organization stated that the ban is a significant step towards respecting international law and supporting Palestinian rights, aligning with the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion. According to Oxfam, trade with settlements fuels human rights violations and entrenches Israel's illegal occupation. The organization highlighted surging settler and state-led violence and the use of British-made arms components in Gaza. Oxfam is calling for the UK to extend the ban to include all services and investments in illegal Israeli settlements, immediately halt arms sales to Israel that could be used to commit violations of international law, and utilize all diplomatic and economic tools to end the occupation and support Palestinian self-determination.
A report by Oxfam and over 80 other organizations reveals that corporations and financial institutions continue to trade with illegal settlements, which legitimizes and sustains the occupation of Palestinian territory. The report emphasizes that such trade is incompatible with international law, and governments permitting it are complicit in maintaining and expanding illegal settlements. The International Court of Justice's July 2024 ruling supports this, stating that governments allowing trade with settlements are complicit in sustaining Israel's control over the occupied Palestinian territory.
Palestinian business owners have described the severe impact of settlement expansion, including roads that are difficult to navigate, delayed deliveries, and damaged crops due to settler attacks. They also noted that products from Israeli settlements flow freely to international markets while Palestinian goods face significant obstacles and higher shipping costs. The construction and expansion of Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, with a significant increase in settlements and outposts in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in recent years. Plans for new "settler-only" roads are expected to further restrict Palestinian movement.
BDS co-founder Omar Barghouti criticized the UK's restrictions as 'performative,' stating the UK remains complicit with Israel's actions. He argued that due to the integration of the occupation's economy into Israel's, states have an obligation to end all relations enabling the occupation, not just settlement trade.