Erekat to companies operating in Judea and Samaria: Leave the ‘settlements’

Saeb Erekat, the secretary general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), on Tuesday called on international companies doing business in Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria to cease doing business in “settlements”, the Palestinian Authority (PA) official Wafa news agency reports.

Erekat’s call came during meetings with the diplomatic representatives of France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Turkey.

Erekat, who described the meetings as “very good”, said that he discussed various topics with the diplomats, including the UN database of companies doing business in “settlements” which was published last week.

“Urgent action is required in accordance with responsibilities under international law,” he said in a tweet about the meetings.

Erekat handed the British, French and Dutch representatives letters to their foreign ministers, calling on them to act to get companies from their countries operating in “the Israeli colonial settlements” to leave them.

He also sent letters to foreign ministers of Luxembourg and Thailand in this regard, in addition to letters to six American companies violating international law by operating in Judea and Samaria.

Erekat called on these countries and companies to stop these flagrant violations of international law, stressing that the companies that will not end their business in the settlements will be subject to legal accountability in international and national courts.

Erekat also discussed the “Deal of the Century” with the Turkish diplomat, stressing to him that this is not a deal but rather a plan to annex “occupied territories” in clear violation of international law.

The PLO official welcomed the release of the list last week and said, “This announcement enhances and consolidates the credibility of the Human Rights Council and international organizations in the face of the fierce attack and the intense pressure that the Trump administration places on these institutions to impede the implementation of its legal and humanitarian mandate entrusted to it by the international community.”

PA cabinet leader Mohammad Shtayyeh, meanwhile, threatened legal action against the companies listed in the database