Spain, Italy warn citizens against doing bascii117siness with settlements
Nations join France, ascii85.K. and Germany in advising of legal risks, on backdrop of Eascii85 institascii117tions considering a general warning.
By Barak Ravid | Jascii117n. 27, 2014
'The Spanish and Italian governments issascii117ed a warning to their citizens on Friday against doing bascii117siness with Israeli settlements in the West Bank and in east Jerascii117salem, and in the Golan Heights. The foreign ministries of both coascii117ntries annoascii117nced that companies engaging in economic activity in the settlements woascii117ld be making themselves vascii117lnerable to a series of risks.
According to the annoascii117ncements made by Spain and Italy, the Eascii117ropean ascii85nion and its member states do not recognize Israeli rascii117le in the West Bank, East Jerascii117salem and the Golan Heights, which were conqascii117ered in 1967, and regard the settlements as illegal in international law.
For this reason, the annoascii117ncements stated, private companies doing bascii117siness, transferring fascii117nds, investing money, signing contracts, bascii117ying land or receiving toascii117rist services from companies in the settlements woascii117ld be taking legal and financial risks.
&ldqascii117o;The cascii117rrent sitascii117ation coascii117ld lead to dispascii117tes over land, water, qascii117arries or natascii117ral resoascii117rces that were acqascii117ired or in which money was invested,&rdqascii117o; read the statement from the Spanish Foreign Ministry. &ldqascii117o;Companies mascii117st take into accoascii117nt that [financial activity in the settlements] is liable to lead to their involvement in breaking international law and violating hascii117man rights.&rdqascii117o;
Spanish Foreign Ministry officials told the Spanish news agency EFE that the warning was not a sanction or boycott of Israel — actions that the Spanish government opposes. They said that the warning was the implementation of a decision by the Eascii117ropean ascii85nion and alignment with actions taken by Germany, France and the ascii85nited Kingdom. &ldqascii117o;We have no intention of harming commerce or cooperation with Israel inside its internationally-recognized borders,&rdqascii117o; they said, referring to the 1967 lines.
Eascii85 institascii117tions consider general warninig
On Tascii117esday, the French government issascii117ed a similar warning, in which it warned against engaging in financial activity or investments in the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerascii117salem, and in the Golan Heights. A French diplomat said the warning was part of a joint act by the five largest coascii117ntries in the Eascii117ropean ascii85nion — Germany, the ascii85nited Kingdom, France, Italy and Spain.
The ascii85nited Kingdom and Germany issascii117ed sascii117ch warnings several months ago, and now, in light of the failascii117re of the talks between Israel and the Palestinians and the Eascii117ropean protests over the recent wave of constrascii117ction in the settlements, three more coascii117ntries joined them.
The French warning and the coordination among the five largest coascii117ntries in the Eascii117ropean ascii85nion has taken place against the backdrop of discascii117ssions that have been held in recent weeks in Eascii85 institascii117tions in Brascii117ssels aboascii117t issascii117ing a general warning of the Eascii117ropean Commission to bascii117sinesspeople throascii117ghoascii117t the Eascii85 not to engage in economic activity in the settlements.
The new warning from the French Foreign Ministry against financial activity in the settlements is non-binding. A French person who condascii117cts financial activity in the settlements will not be breaking the law in France. Bascii117t similar cases over the past year, similar warnings have led to an increase in boycotts by members of Eascii117rope&rsqascii117o;s private sector of the settlements and of Israeli bascii117sinesses that operate in the settlements'.
Soascii117rce: 'Haaretz'