Tag Archives: Occupied Palestinian territories
23 July 2013
On Thursday evening 13 June 2013, the third SHARES Debate entitled The Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories: is there a responsibility for the Netherlands? was held in Amsterdam. This blog post will highlight parts of the debate.
Background
The continuing Israeli occupation of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East-Jerusalem, and the expansion of settlements raise the question as to what the responsibility is of other states. Due to the asymmetry of this conflict, it would appear that it can only be resolved through the intervention of third parties.
This SHARES debate addressed the role of third states in general, and the Netherlands in particular. The focus on the Netherlands was justified not only because the Netherlands attaches great importance to the promotion of the international rule of law, but also because it maintains close relations with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. (more…)
22 July 2013
The EU announced the publication of guidelines explicitly banning EU funding of Israeli institutions operating in the occupied territories. Israel had opposed the directive saying it will hurt the peace process and Israeli ties with the EU.
A New York Times op-ed wrote that the hostile reaction in Israel has been stimulated by inaccurate reporting on the decision. According to an EU statement, the guidelines are a reiteration of a long-held position of the EU that it will not recognise border changes unless agreed by both parties, and the decision will not prejudge the outcome of peace negotiations. The guidelines only apply to programs of the EU, not its member states or trade, and they are estimated to affect only 0.5 percent of relevant EU project funding.
Source: European Union | Statement by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on the publication of guidelines on Israel and EU funding instruments | A 391/13 | 19 July 2013
Source: The New York Times | The E.U.’s New Guidelines on Israel Are Not a Boycott
Source: The Jerusalem Post | EU officially publishes settlement guidelines despite Israeli objections
13 June 2013
Date:
13 June 2013
Location:
SPUI25
Spui 25-27
1012 WX Amsterdam
Time:
17:00-18:30
On Thursday 13 June 2013, the third SHARES Debate is organised in cooperation with SPUI25, an academic-cultural centre that offers a forum for among others lectures, debates and book presentations.
SHARES Debates are organised throughout the academic year to provide a platform for discussions with a broader (non-academic) audience on questions of shared responsibility. The upcoming debate is entitled: The Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories: is there a responsibility for the Netherlands? (more…)
1 February 2013
States should not recognise an unlawful situation resulting from Israel’s violations of international law in the occupied territories, and states should take appropriate measures to make sure that business enterprises that are domiciled in their territory – that conduct activities in or related to the settlements – respect human rights. These are some of the recommendations in the advance copy of the Report of the independent international fact-finding mission to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.
The report also calls on private companies to assess the human rights impact of their activities, and to take all necessary steps to ensure they are not adversely impacting the human rights of the Palestinian People, in accordance with international law, as well as the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Source: Human Rights Council | Report of the independent international fact-finding mission to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem
31 October 2012
A consortium of 22 European non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) published a report on 30 October 2012, entitled: Trading Away Peace: How Europe helps sustain illegal Israeli settlements.
This report concludes that while the European Union (EU) consistently condemns Israel’s settlement policy, and defines Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories as being illegal under international law, EU policies help sustain Israeli settlements because of (heavy) trade with these settlements. The report recommends concrete measures that individual member states or the EU can take in order to make sure their policies do not (in)directly support settlements.
Source: The Guardian | EU urged to re-think trade deals with Israeli settlements in West Bank
Source: Der Spiegel | Activists Seek Ban on Trade with Israeli Settlers
Source: Report | Trading Away Peace: How Europe helps sustain illegal Israeli settlements