Post: Over 80 NGOs Call for Global Ban on Trade with Israeli Settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territories

Jerusalem: More than 80 international non-governmental organizations, including Oxfam and the Human Rights Association, have collectively urged states and companies, particularly European ones, to cease all business dealings with Israeli colonies established in the occupied Palestinian territories. According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, this appeal was made through a joint report titled "Trade with Illegal Settlements: How Foreign States and Companies Enable Israel to Implement its Illegal Settlement Policy," co-authored by organizations such as the Human Rights Association and Oxfam. The report highlighted the role of foreign companies and institutions in exacerbating the humanitarian crisis caused by the long-standing Israeli occupation. The report identified several European companies that bolster the settlements' economy by marketing their products in Israel. It called on states, especially European Union members and the United Kingdom, to explicitly prohibit any commercial or invest ment activities related to the settlements, including service provision and financing. Moreover, it urged financial institutions to refrain from offering loans to companies engaged in projects within the settlements. This report builds on a previous submission by Francesca Albanese, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, to the UN Human Rights Council in July. Albanese's report, "From an Economy of Occupation to an Economy of Genocide," detailed the involvement of foreign companies in the Israeli settlement enterprise, including the forced displacement of Palestinians and their replacement with settler populations. The UN rapporteur stressed that these activities are supported by banks and insurance companies, while tourism platforms, retail chains, and academic institutions contribute to normalization efforts. Albanese affirmed that consumers can hold these companies accountable through their purchasing decisions.