Qatar welcomes Dutch, Belgian bans on imports from illegal Israeli settlements

Qatar on Wednesday welcomed decisions by the Netherlands and Belgium to ban imports from illegal Israeli settlements, calling the measures an important step toward curbing settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said Israel’s settlement policy is a “flagrant violation” of international law, particularly UN Security Council Resolution 2334, and an assault on the rights of the Palestinian people.

The ministry called on more countries to adopt similar measures and urged the international community to fulfill its legal and moral obligations by compelling Israel to end its settlement activities.

It also reaffirmed Qatar’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and renewed its backing for a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestinian state.

The Netherlands said on Tuesday it will begin enforcing a ban on imports from Israeli settlements on Sept. 22, after Belgium approved similar restrictions on July 18. The move follows Ireland’s parliament’s approval of a similar ban on July 15 and comes as Spain and Slovenia have also adopted comparable measures.