French MPs pass bill to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements

According to local media, more than 100 MPs from 8 different political groups support the bill submitted to the French National Assembly by Socialist Party (PS) General Secretary Olivier Faure.

The bill, adopted by the parliamentary commission, which prohibits France from importing products from the illegal settlements in the West Bank of the Israelis who usurped Palestinian lands and bans commercial and financial relations with these structures, is expected to be voted on in the General Assembly of the Parliament on November 19.

In addition to the trade ban, the bill also includes a ban on financial services that contribute to the maintenance of illegal settlements, such as tourist housing rental.

Faure, who presented the bill, said in a statement to the press that the regulation does not directly target the state of Israel.

Faure emphasized that there is a contradiction between condemning settlements that violate international law at the diplomatic level and simultaneously maintaining economic ties with these settlements, and stated that the bill will serve to eliminate this contradiction.

If the bill becomes law, companies that do not comply with the ban may face imprisonment and fines.

In order for a bill to become law in France, the National Assembly and the Senate must agree on the same draft text.