NewYork, USA
Amnesty International has released a new briefing that outlines a series of urgent actions states must take to fulfill their obligations under international law and prevent companies from enabling Israel’s unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory. The briefing, titled “Confronting the global political economy enabling Israel’s genocide, occupation and apartheid,” was released on the one-year anniversary of the UN General Assembly resolution that demanded Israel end its occupation within 12 months.
The human rights organization is demanding that governments take a firm stance against the policies and practices that it says are fueling human rights violations. The briefing highlights the role of international companies and states in perpetuating what Amnesty calls a “cruel system of apartheid,” in which Palestinians are subjected to a discriminatory system that enables the continued dispossession of their land.
The briefing focuses on key areas where states can act to prevent their complicity in these violations. First and foremost, Amnesty is calling for an immediate and total ban on the supply of all arms and military equipment to Israel. This includes not only weapons but also surveillance equipment, artificial intelligence, and cloud infrastructure used to support military and security activities. The organization asserts that states transferring these items risk complicity in war crimes and other human rights violations.
Beyond military hardware, Amnesty International is urging a complete halt to all trade and investment with companies that are contributing to the occupation. The briefing specifically calls on states to terminate any preferential trade agreements and cooperation deals with Israel, citing the EU-Israel Trade Agreement as an example. The organization also identifies specific companies from the U.S., China, Spain, South Korea, and Israel that it says are directly linked to these violations. Amnesty calls on these corporations to immediately suspend all sales and deliveries of goods and services that contribute to human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Amnesty’s briefing underscores that the responsibility lies not only with governments but also with corporations, which have their own human rights responsibilities to uphold. The report warns that these companies must ensure they are not involved in Israel’s unlawful occupation or risk facing consequences for their actions. It also serves as a rallying cry for civil society and the public to mobilize and campaign to hold both states and corporations accountable.
The organization’s latest call to action comes in the wake of the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) advisory opinion in July 2024, which concluded that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful. The briefing argues that in light of this ruling and the UN General Assembly resolution, states have a clear obligation to take concrete, tangible measures to end their active or passive support for Israel’s actions.
Headline Points
* Amnesty International Demands Concrete Action: A new briefing from the human rights group calls on states to take tangible measures to end their complicity in Israel’s unlawful occupation.
* Urgent Arms Embargo: The organization is calling for an immediate ban on the supply of all arms, military, and surveillance equipment to Israel.
* Targeting Trade and Investment: The report urges states to halt trade with and investment in companies that contribute to the occupation, citing examples like the EU-Israel Trade Agreement.
* Based on International Law: Amnesty’s call to action follows the ICJ’s advisory opinion that Israel’s occupation is unlawful and a UN General Assembly resolution demanding an end to it within one year.
* Corporate Accountability: The briefing also emphasizes that companies have a responsibility to not be involved in human rights violations and should be held accountable for their actions.
