ActionAid Australia welcomes Minister Wong’s announcement today of new Australian sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank
“We are encouraged to see the Government promptly taking action following the announcement of the International Court of Justice’s historic opinion on the weekend.
“The Court has made it clear that Israel must end its occupation of Palestine “as rapidly as possible”, and that all countries carry obligations to ensure this ruling is upheld.
“The only way to achieve sustainable peace is for Israel to end this occupation and enable Palestinians to return to their land.
“As Minister Wong has noted, Israel’s longstanding occupation of Palestine has not only been illegal, but has involved the perpetration of significant violence against the Palestinian people. We believe targeted sanctions such as these are a valid response in this context.
“As the Government considers further ways it may uphold the Court’s decision, we continue to call for Australia to demand accountability from Israel to act in accordance with international law.”
“It is impossible to ignore that this decision has been reached as Israel’s bloody war in Gaza continues, and while Australia takes part in the RIMPAC military exercise in the Pacific alongside the Israel Defence Forces. We repeat our calls for Australia to ensure no military aid, assistance or cooperation is extended to Israel.”
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About ActionAid
ActionAid is a global federation working with more than 41 million people living in more than 70 of the world’s poorest countries. We want to see a just, fair, and sustainable world, in which everybody enjoys the right to a life of dignity, and freedom from poverty and oppression. ActionAid Australia focuses on scaling up women-led climate solutions and driving systems change on gender equality and climate justice. www.actionaid.org.au