International rights organisation urges France to end trade with Israeli settlements

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) on Tuesday called on the government here to halt all economic relations with Israel's illegal settlements because trade with these entities is perpetuating their existence, expansion and prosperity.
The FIDH and the Palestinian groups are launching a campaign as of today, dubbed "Made in Illegality," to pressure France and other European countries to halt dealings with the colonies and prevent European companies doing or setting up business there.
The statement reiterated that "the Israeli settlements are illegal with regard to international law and all economic relations with these settlements must be proscribed." The Paris-based human rights federation warned that "by trading with the Israeli colonies, France plays a certain role in reinforcing settlements. But France has positioned itself as against settlements." "This double-speak is incoherent and must be corrected rapidly," the statement said, noting that there were legal obligations under international law that forbids any help in maintaining the illegal situation of the settlements.
"Economic and commercial trading between France and the Israeli settlements is very substantial (with) the commercialisation in France of products manufactured in the settlements (and the presence of) French companies with economic activities in the settlements," the FIDH added.
Thus, France and the EU are participating in the support of settlement policy and contribute to the prosperity and expansion of these illegal entities, according to the statement.
The FIDH cited a number of examples of enterprises, some with French government shareholdings, that are active in the illegal settlements built on occupied Arab lands in the West Bank and Jerusalem and on the Golan Heights.