Eight Muslim nations hail UK move to ban products from Israeli settlements

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and six other Muslim countries have welcomed the UK government’s decision to ban imports of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and restrict services linked to them.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, September 9, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkiye said they hoped the UK measures would encourage other countries to take similar steps in line with international law.

They also called for settlement organisations and individuals involved in illegal settlement activities to be held accountable.

The ministers



welcomed a separate joint statement on the two-state solution issued by Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

The countries expressed their intention to introduce national measures and/or support European restrictions on trade in goods from settlements considered illegal under international law. Some also said they were actively considering additional measures through their respective national procedures.

The eight ministers urged the international community to build on these steps and adopt concrete measures to end activities that support or sustain Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.