Belgium’s economic and commercial relations with Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

This opinion notes that the policies pursued by the State of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories directly or indirectly lead to the cancellation or weakening of the positive impacts of the development aid that Belgium provides there. The occupied Palestinian territories are the fourth largest recipient of Belgian development aid. However, Israeli army operations regularly lead to the destruction of infrastructure financed by Belgian development aid. In addition, Israel imposes restrictions on the movement of persons, impeding access to land and resources, as well as the movement of goods, including for export.

The purpose of this opinion is to identify the various instruments available to improve the coherence and effectiveness of Belgium’s action in the occupied Palestinian territories and to ensure that, in accordance with the advisory opinion delivered on 9 July 2004 by the International Court of Justice, companies based in Belgium do not contribute to the economic viability and legitimisation of Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.