Cairo, July 23 (Petra)-- The Arab League has welcomed decisions by the Netherlands and Belgium to ban the import, purchase and sale of products originating from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, describing the move as a positive step toward strengthening respect for international law and international legitimacy.
The League's Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories Sector said that any economic or commercial dealings with illegal Israeli settlements violate states' obligations under international law not to recognize unlawful situations resulting from the Israeli occupation or provide support that helps sustain them.
He noted that the position is based on international law and relevant United Nations resolutions, particularly UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016), as well as the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences arising from Israel's policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The Arab League's General Secretariat said the measures adopted by the Netherlands and Belgium provide a practical example of translating international legal obligations into concrete action. It called on other countries, particularly European Union member states, to adopt similar measures to prevent illegal settlements from benefiting from international markets and to help curb settlement expansion, annexation policies and the imposition of a fait accompli.
Separately, the Arab League strongly condemned Nauru's announcement of its intention to open an embassy in occupied Jerusalem, describing the move as a serious violation of international law and international legitimacy resolutions.
The League said the decision contravenes UN Security Council Resolutions 476 and 478 of 1980, which declared invalid all Israeli measures aimed at altering the character and legal status of occupied Jerusalem and called on all states to refrain from establishing or relocating diplomatic missions to the city.
The Assistant Secretary-General stressed that Nauru's announcement departs from the international consensus on Jerusalem's legal status and undermines states' legal obligations not to recognize unlawful situations arising from the occupation. He added that the move could also weaken international efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution and relevant international resolutions.
//Petra// MF
