Sanctions on Israeli settlements: twelve countries announce measures with uncertain impact

Twelve countries, among them the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Spain and Sweden, announced on Tuesday, September 8 measures aimed at restricting trade with Israeli settlements established in the West Bank, according to RFI.

This initiative aims, according to the authorities concerned, to pressure Israel in the face of a surge in violence committed by settlers as well as the ongoing expansion of settlements in occupied territories.

However, several observers question the real effectiveness of these announcements. The precise format of the measures, their legal scope and their ability to concretely change commercial exchanges with the areas concerned remain, according to RFI, uncertain at this stage.

Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law by a large part of the international community, although Israel contests this qualification.

The announcement by these twelve countries comes in a context of persistent tensions in the Middle East, marked by recurring episodes of violence involving settlers and Palestinian populations, as well as the continued construction and expansion of settlements.