France has warned its citizens against taking part in any economic activity in the occupied Palestinian territories, saying this may entail legal risks because the Jewish settlements are illegal under international law.
The warning is part of a joint act drafted by the five largest EU
countries: Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Spain,
Haaretz cited a French diplomat as saying.
Italy and Spain are expected to issue similar warnings over the
next few days, while the UK and Germany did so a few months ago.
The move comes after the failure of peace talks between Israel
and the Palestinians, and also following massive protests against
the construction of settlements across the EU.
The notice by the French Foreign Ministry advises against
investing, purchasing land, or engaging in economic activity in
the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Golan Heights. It was
published as part of recommendations for French people traveling
to Israel.
“Due to the fact that the settlements are illegal in
international law, the performance of financial activity in the
settlements such as money transfers, investments, acquisition of
property, provision of supplies or the performance of any other
economic activities that benefit the settlements involves
risks,” the statement reads in French.
The document also stated that the international community does
not recognize the settlements as part of Israel, which could lead
to “land disputes or disagreements regarding water, quarries
or other natural resources.”
“We call upon citizens or businesspeople who are considering
becoming involved in economic activity in the settlements to seek
appropriate legal advice before going ahead,” the statement
adds.
The warning from the French government is non-binding, so a
French national who conducts financial activities in the
settlements would not be breaking the law in France. However,
over the last year, Europe’s private sector and Israeli
businesses that work in the settlements have seen boycotts of
their goods and services.
The Dutch government has recently issued a similar warning to its
citizens, with recommendations that products from the settlements
on sale in supermarkets are to be marked. Shortly afterwards, the
largest water company in The Netherlands declared that it was
canceling a contract with Mekorot, Israel’s national water
company.
About a week ago, the Israeli Foreign Ministry asked its
ambassadors across the EU to contact European foreign ministries,
asking them to refrain from issuing the warnings.