RAMALLAH, June 26, 2014 (WAFA) – Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed, in a press statement Thursday, online publications on the official websites of the foreign ministries of France, the UK and Germany, in which they warned against the legal and economic consequences of investing in the Israeli settlements, as it is illegal under international law.

The ministry said such a cautionary statement comes within a European balanced position that is in line with the European guidelines, effective since January 1, 2014, on settlement construction and settlement products, as well as with the international legitimacy resolutions and international law.

This affirms the European keenness towards pushing the peace process forward and keeping negotiations alive, said the statement. “This action is in the right direction towards maintaining a two-state solution,” added the ministry.

“This is evidence to the European officials’ understanding and recognition of the dangers of settlement construction in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and its catastrophic consequences on peace opportunities and on the potential of a viable, contiguous State of Palestine,” it added. “This means the world is not deceived by the Israeli propaganda.”

The ministry considered the European position towards settlements and their products an indicator of the “increasing international isolation” of Israel, since it is “committed to occupation, settlement and failure of negotiations.”

It called upon the European Union member countries to adopt this stance and to take the necessary legal procedures capable of putting an end to Israel’s settlement policies, so that Israel will realize it will be held accountable and punished for its ”aggressive” practices and for failure of negotiations.

Meanwhile, Ministry of National Economy praised, in a related statement, the French government’s call to its people not to carry out economic activities with the Israeli settlements in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Golan Heights, given their occupied status under international law.

It called upon all countries to stop dealing with settlement products – produced in illegal settlements in land occupied in 1967 – which sometimes maybe labeled “made in Israel” as a way of trickery in order to be allowed into international markets.

M.N./T.R.