Canada moves to ban trade in goods from Israeli settlements in West Bank

OTTAWA – Canada has announced plans to ban trade in goods originating from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, joining Britain and France in a coordinated move aimed at increasing pressure on Israel over settlement expansion.

In a joint statement issued September 8, Canada and 11 European countries expressed concern over what they called unprecedented levels of settler violence and continued settlement expansion, including Israel’s decision to advance the controversial E1 settlement project east of Jerusalem.

Canada, France and the United Kingdom said they would bring forward national measures to ban trade in settlement goods, while several other countries either intend to introduce restrictions or support measures at the European level. The Canadian measure has therefore been announced but has not yet taken effect, and Ottawa has not released the full details or implementation timetable.

The proposed restriction would apply specifically to goods associated with Israeli settlements in territory occupied since 1967 and is not a general ban on trade with Israel.

The Canadian government said Israeli settlement expansion was undermining prospects for a two-state solution and called on Israel to halt further expansion, address violence by settlers and refrain from measures that could amount to annexation or the forcible displacement of Palestinians.

Israel strongly condemned the coordinated measures. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described the initiative as foreign interference, while Israel announced several retaliatory measures against Britain, including the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem.

The Canadian move represents a further shift in Ottawa’s approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and places Canada alongside a growing group of European governments seeking economic measures specifically targeting settlements.