A/HRC/23/21
by the European Union heads of mission to Jerusalem contained recommendations to
ensure that European consumers are not misled into purchasing settlement products that are
labelled as originating from Israel. 45 In that report, the heads of mission also called for
European Union citizens and companies to be informed of the financial and legal risks
involved in purchasing property or providing services in Israeli settlements. Against this
backdrop, according to media reports, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and
Security Policy of the European Union, Catherine Ashton, wrote to the Ministers for
Foreign Affairs of the European Union to call for enhanced efforts by Member States to
enforce fully and effectively European Union labelling legislation vis-à-vis Israel. It is in
this context of increasing awareness that the Special Rapporteur will continue to report on
businesses that profit from Israel’s prolonged occupation of Palestine.
VI. Recommendations
57.
The Special Rapporteur recommends that:
(a)
ICRC or a commission of inquiry composed of relevant international law
experts convene to examine issues particular to prolonged occupation and move
towards a convention to address such occupations;
(b)
Israel allow Palestinians to make use of their maritime area, up to 20
nautical miles, in accordance with its commitments under the Oslo II agreements;
(c)
Israel lift its illegal blockade of Gaza and clearly demarcate access
restricted areas, which should only be established in accordance with applicable
international legal standards and commitments undertaken by the State of Israel;
(d)
The international community, with Israel’s full cooperation, as an ad hoc
and temporary solution, finance the construction of a major desalination facility in
Gaza, instal solar networks for heat and electricity, and urgently improve sewage
treatment to avoid further polluting the Mediterranean Sea. At the same time, Israel
should respect legitimate Palestinian water rights and desist from appropriating a
disproportionate quantity of water from shared aquifers;
(e)
The international community, with Israel’s full cooperation and in direct
consultation with farmers in Gaza, support a shift in agricultural production in Gaza
to less water-intensive crops, including by facilitating access to seeds, support the
improvement of irrigation networks, and ensure that farmers may utilize their
farmland;
(f)
The international community, with Israel’s full cooperation, create a
private patients’ fund that could be drawn upon to support medical treatment outside
of Gaza, as needed;
(g)
The international community establish a commission of inquiry into the
situation of Palestinians detained or imprisoned by Israel; the inquiry should have a
broad mandate, to examine Israel’s record of impunity for prison officials and others
who interrogate Palestinians;
(h)
The international community investigate the activities of businesses that
profit from Israel’s settlements, take appropriate action to end any activities in
occupied Palestine and ensure appropriate reparation for Palestinians affected;
45
Copy on file with the Special Rapporteur.
21
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