Jordan welcomes UK settlement trade ban, backs 12-nation call for restrictions

AMMAN — The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday welcomed Britain's decision to ban trade in products from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, calling it an important step consistent with international law and efforts to preserve the two-state solution. The ministry also welcomed a joint statement by 12 countries, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, expressing their intention to take national measures and support European measures restricting trade in products from Israeli settlements, which are considered illegal under international law. In their joint statement, the 12 countries reaffirmed their commitment to a two-state solution in line with relevant UN Security Council resolutions, with the aim of establishing an independent Palestinian state. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Fouad Majali said that the decisions by the 12 countries to restrict trade with settlements reflected an international commitment to implementing international law and relevant UN resolutions, particularly UN Security Council Resolution 2334. The resolution condemns Israeli measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem. Majali also cited the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which he said affirmed the illegality of the Israeli occupation and the unlawful nature of settlement construction and measures to annex parts of the West Bank, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. In another statement, the ministry welcomed Britain's additional measures targeting services that provide financing for or facilitate the expansion of existing settlements and the construction of new ones. The ministry said the measures would help counter illegal Israeli actions, settlement activity and settler violence, which undermine the two-state solution and prospects for a just and comprehensive peace. The statement also welcomed comments by British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who said that the UK government was committed to protecting the two-state solution and supporting the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. Miliband also condemned statements by ministers in Israel's far-right government and calls to end the Palestinian presence in the West Bank, describing what is taking place in some areas of the territory as 'ethnic cleansing.' Majali called on the international community to take similar practical measures to uphold international law and relevant UN resolutions, halt settlement activity and protect the rights of the Palestinian people. The ministry's statement reiterated Jordan's support for Palestinian freedom and called for an end to the Israeli occupation. It also called for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.