Defence for Children International (DCI) has joined human rights organisations, trade unions, and civil society groups in urging the European Commission to ban all trade and business between the EU and Israel’s illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), including East Jerusalem.
The open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calls for EU policies to align with international legal obligations. On 19 July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a landmark advisory opinion stating that states must not recognise, aid, or assist Israel’s occupation and must avoid trade and economic dealings that entrench its unlawful presence in the OPT.
Despite the EU’s policy of distinguishing between Israeli and settlement goods, the latter still enter the European market. The letter argues this violates international humanitarian law and the ICJ ruling, which calls for a complete ban on settlement trade.
By permitting trade with illegal settlements, the EU, its member states, and European companies risk breaching legal commitments and enabling human rights violations. The ICJ opinion identified systemic abuses, concluding that Israel’s policies constitute racial segregation and apartheid under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD).
EU member states have repeatedly condemned settlements as illegal and a major obstacle to a two-state solution. They have acknowledged the associated human rights violations, including forced evictions, demolitions of civilian infrastructure—including EU-funded projects—land confiscations, forced transfers, and settler violence. While the EU has imposed targeted sanctions on certain settlers and settler-affiliated entities, it continues to allow trade with settlements, contradicting its stated position.
The signatories, including DCI, call on the European Commission to:
1. Introduce Legislation to Ban Settlement Trade and Investments: The Commission should propose legal acts prohibiting all imports, exports, and investments involving Israel’s illegal settlements in the OPT under the Common Commercial Policy.
2. Issue a Strengthened Business Advisory: Until legislation is adopted, the EU should reinforce its advisory discouraging European businesses from engaging with settlements, going beyond the existing EU document in line with Norway’s approach.
DCI urges the European Commission to act swiftly to ensure compliance with international law and prevent EU complicity in human rights violations. DCI remains committed to advocating for Palestinian children’s rights and will continue to monitor developments and push for enforcement of legal standards to protect them and their communities.
Read the Joint Letter here.