21 EU lawmakers call for trade ban with illegal Israeli settlements after ICJ ruling
The landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that termed Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory as unlawful must lead to a “drastic change” in European Union policy, according to 21 members of the European Parliament.
They write to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a letter that the 27-member bloc must align itself with the findings of the UN’s highest court.
They also demand “an EU ban on trade with settlements” based on the ICJ opinion that states must “take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that assist in the maintenance of the illegal situation created by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories”.
“The ICJ’s historic opinion must be regarded as a pivotal moment for the EU to recalibrate its policy towards Israel set as to bring about the end of its unlawful occupation, enable the two-state solution to the conflict, ensuring freedom and safety for both peoples, and resolutely defend the international legal order,” the letter reads.
The landmark ICJ ruling about Israel's illegal annexation of the occupied Palestinian territories should mean a drastic change of EU policy.
Together with 20 colleagues, we are urging @vonderleyen and @JosepBorrellF to make sure the EU complies with international law. pic.twitter.com/ZLmiIQHIh5
— Tineke Strik (@Tineke_Strik) July 25, 2024
UK to withdraw objection to ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu: Report
New UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly expected to drop previous British government objections to the International Criminal Court (ICC) top prosecutor’s request for an arrest warrant of Benjamin Netanyahu.
The move, which would mark a significant departure between UK and US policy on Gaza that had been almost fully aligned since the start of the war on Gaza, is reported by The New York Times citing two unnamed sourced briefed on the government’s deliberations.
This comes days after the new Labour government announced it is resuming critical funding to the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA, which stopped in January after unproven allegations of “terrorism” were brought against its staff by Israel.
The US is now the only country maintaining its block on funding to the main agency delivering aid to desperate Palestinians in Gaza as Washington continues to oppose the ICC arrest warrant requests as well.
