Dr. Saeb Erekat on Amnesty International Campaign to Ban Israeli Settlement Products

We welcome the campaign of Amnesty International to ban all Israeli settlement products from international markets. This has been a longstanding Palestinian demand from the international community. Rather than a political position, this is a legal obligation on all States.  There is no need to reiterate that settlements are illegal under international law while still allowing their products to be traded in international markets. Israel’s colonial settlement enterprise negates the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination.

A few days ago Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu pledged to continue building illegal colonial-settlements, while he takes pride in being the first Israeli PM to build new settlements after the Oslo Agreement. The world should not continue to tolerate this. Accountability is the only way to end the occupation and achieve a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians.