EU legislators call for trade embargo on illegal Israeli settlements in response to ICJ ruling

More than twenty ​​members of the European Union parliament have called for trade ban with illegal Israeli settlements, emphasizing the need for a major shift in European Union policy following the groundbreaking decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding Israel's unlawful annexation of Palestinian territory.

The 21 members of the European Parliament in a Thursday letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and Josep Borrell, the high representative of the EU, demanded that the 27-member states EU bloc must align itself with the findings of the UN’s highest court. 

On Friday, the ICJ ruled that Israel's ongoing occupation of Palestinian territory is illegal and must be terminated as quickly as possible.

The parliamentarians called for “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 read.

The letter comes at a time when the catastrophic Israeli genocide in Gaza has killed close to 40,000 Palestinians so far along with putting millions on the brink of a famine.

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Aussie angst against Israeli settlers 

Meanwhile, Australia on Thursday implemented sanctions and travel restrictions on illegal Israeli settlers who have been accused of committing violent offenses against Palestinians in the West Bank, which is under an illegal Israeli occupation. 

Announced by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, the sanctions were directed at seven Israeli settlers and a youth hardline settler group, Hilltop Youth, which is known for setting up new illegal outposts, over their “involvement in settler violence against Palestinians.”

“The individuals sanctioned today have been involved in violent attacks on Palestinians. This includes beatings, sexual assault and torture of Palestinians resulting in serious injury and in some cases, death,” Wong said in a statement.

The group, Hilltop Youth consists of hardline, extremist and religious-nationalist youths who establish illegal outposts without an Israeli legal basis in the West Bank.

“The entity sanctioned is a youth group that is responsible for inciting and perpetrating violence against Palestinian communities, Wong said.

On June 27, the group's far-right owner, Meir Ettinger was earlier sanctioned by Canada, when it announced sanctions against seven Israeli settlers and five organizations for “their violent and destabilizing actions against Palestinian civilians and their property in the West Bank.”

On Wednesday, the Norwegian government also aligned with the EU to implement sanctions against extremist illegal Israeli settlers in Palestinian territory and the West Bank, including freezing their financial assets and imposing travel restrictions to the country.

Israeli settlers have escalated their violent actions and military incursions in the occupied West Bank ever since the Zionist entity launched its genocidal war over the Gaza Strip.

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