Indonesia, Seven Nations Back UK Ban on Goods From Illegal Israeli Settlements

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: Indonesia and seven other countries have welcomed and expressed support for the United Kingdom’s decision to ban imports of goods linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and impose restrictions on related services.

In a joint statement issued by Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the foreign ministers of Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) welcomed the British measure and expressed hope that other members of the international community would adopt similar steps.

The eight countries said such measures were important for upholding international law and ensuring accountability for entities and individuals involved in illegal Israeli settlement activities.

They noted that the UK’s import restrictions were consistent with international legal principles and relevant United Nations resolutions, particularly UN Security Council Resolution 2334, adopted in 2016, which condemns Israeli settlement expansion.

The statement also referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion of July 19, 2024, emphasizing that all UN member states are required to reject the legality of the Israeli occupation and refrain from providing assistance that could contribute to its continuation.

According to the statement, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced on September 8 that the UK would prohibit imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and impose sanctions on companies and individuals involved in settlement expansion.

The UK also announced additional sanctions against extremist Israeli settlers accused of supporting or inciting violence against Palestinians.

In addition, Britain will refuse to issue new arms export licences for items deemed to contribute to the continuation of the occupation, while maintaining the suspension of 30 existing export licences.

Miliband said the British government considers the situation in the occupied West Bank to involve the “ethnic cleansing of Palestinians” carried out by Israeli “settler terrorists.”

The eight countries stressed the importance of continued international action to uphold international law, protect Palestinian rights and strengthen accountability over settlement-related activities.