Financing of undertakings in the occupied territories in the West Bank by European financial institutions

Subject: Financing of undertakings in the occupied territories in the West Bank by European financial institutions

A recent investigation revealed that 672 European banks have for the last four years been financing companies operating in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, declared illegal by the UN Security Council in Resolution 2334 (2016)1. The actions of these European financial institutions is in violation of international law, as they are carrying out economic activities in illegal colonies where the human rights of the Palestinian people are being violated, according to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 19492.

1. What action will the Commission take to ensure that these companies cease their economic activities in Israeli settlements in the West Bank and thus respect the human rights of the occupied civilian population?

2. How will the Commission monitor this area in order to ensure that these European companies have effectively withdrawn their activity in Israeli settlements in the West Bank after four years of operation?

1 UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016). https://undocs.org/pdf?symbol=en/S/RES/2334(2016)

2 Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, 1949. https://ihl-

databases.icrc.org/applic/ihl/ihl.nsf/Treaty.xsp?documentId=AE2D398352C5B028C12563CD002D6B5C&acti on=openDocument