Ashraf AboArafe
The League of Arab States (LAS) welcomed the decisions taken by the Kingdoms of the Netherlands and Belgium to ban the import, purchase, and sale of products originating from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. The League considered this step a positive development toward reinforcing respect for international law and international legitimacy.
The Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories Sector emphasized that any economic or commercial engagement with illegal Israeli settlements violates states’ obligations not to recognize unlawful situations arising from the occupation, nor to render aid or assistance in maintaining them. This position is grounded in international law and relevant United Nations resolutions—most notably UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016) and the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice regarding the legal consequences of Israel’s policies and practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The General Secretariat further stressed that the decisions by the Netherlands and Belgium serve as a practical model for translating international legal obligations into concrete actions. It called on other nations, particularly European Union member states, to adopt similar measures to prevent illegal settlements from benefiting from global markets, thereby helping to curb settlement expansion and annexation policies.
On another note, the Arab League expressed its absolute rejection and strong condemnation of the Republic of Nauru’s announcement of its intention to open an embassy in occupied Jerusalem. The League declared this move a grave violation of international law and international legitimacy resolutions—specifically UN Security Council Resolutions 476 and 478 (1980), which affirmed the nullity of all measures aimed at altering the character and status of Jerusalem and called on all states to refrain from establishing diplomatic missions there.
The Assistant Secretary-General concluded by reiterating that Nauru’s announcement departs from the international consensus on Jerusalem’s legal status and undermines global efforts to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.
