French parliamentarians have moved forward with proposed legislation aimed at prohibiting commercial exchanges and financial interactions with illegal Israeli settlements located in the West Bank.
Socialist Party First Secretary Olivier Faure put forward the bill, which secured backing from over 100 lawmakers spanning eight distinct political factions.
A parliamentary committee endorsed the text. It suggests a complete prohibition on importing goods originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, alongside financial and commercial transactions linked to them.
Lawmakers scheduled the measure for a vote during a plenary session of the National Assembly on 19 November.
The draft legislation also targets financial services that support the persistence of settlements. This includes stopping the rental of tourist properties inside those areas.
Faure spoke to reporters about the initiative and stated that the measure does not directly target Israel.
He pointed out a contradiction in official policy. Faure argued that condemning settlements as violations of international law diplomatically while keeping economic links with them is inconsistent, and said the bill fixes that problem.
Companies that violate the proposed ban would face penalties under the legislation. The rules provide for both prison terms and financial fines for non-compliant businesses.
The legislative process requires steps before enactment. Both the National Assembly and the Senate must agree on identical text for the bill to become law.
On Tuesday, three Israeli rights organisations reported that Israel will open bidding on 1 December for 2,167 illegal settlement homes in the E1 zone east of occupied East Jerusalem.
Groups named Ir Amim, Bimkom and Peace Now stated that authorities will accept bids until 28 December. The organisations characterised the schedule as proof that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration is determined to push the project forward.
The E1 development plan threatens geographic continuity. Rights groups warned the scheme would sever occupied East Jerusalem from Palestinian neighbourhoods to its east and break territorial connections between the northern and southern West Bank.
International criticism of the E1 plan is widespread. Governments around the world have repeatedly warned that the housing project damages the feasibility of establishing an independent Palestinian state.
