OIC welcomes Belgium, Netherlands moves to ban Israeli settlement imports

JEDDAH — The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has welcomed decisions by the Belgian and Dutch governments to ban imports of products originating from Israeli settlements built on occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and called on other countries to follow suit.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the OIC General Secretariat described the decisions as a well-deserved legal and political achievement that embodies the principles of international justice and is consistent with international law, the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, and resolutions of international legitimacy.

Foremost among those, the Secretariat said, is UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which affirmed the illegality of settlements and underlined the importance of an immediate and complete cessation of all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.

The General Secretariat renewed its call for all countries to take practical and legislative measures to ban economic, financial and service-related activities linked to the Israeli occupation authorities and their settlement enterprise in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Netherlands announced on Tuesday that it would ban the import, purchase and sale of goods originating from Israeli settlements from September 22. The measure also covers intermediate trade and brokering services and applies to Dutch companies operating abroad, with attempts to circumvent it prohibited. The Dutch government said the ban reflected its obligation not to contribute to an unlawful situation, while the Council of State raised no objection but flagged doubts over its enforceability.

Belgium's federal government approved a similar ban days earlier. The two decisions place them alongside Spain and Ireland among European Union member states acting unilaterally, as pressure builds for a coordinated bloc-wide response.

The moves have drawn a wave of welcome across the region, with Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian leadership all praising the steps and urging other states to adopt similar measures. Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are considered illegal under international law; Israel maintains that they are lawful and opposes measures targeting settlement trade.