Belgian capital set to ban purchase of products from Israeli settlements

By Selen Valente

BRUSSELS (AA) - The Brussels City Council has passed a motion to halt the public procurement of products from Israeli settlements.

The motion, brought by Benoit Hellings, a councilor in the capital of Brussels, was adopted unanimously in a vote late Monday.

The motion asks the local authority to ensure that its purchases do not benefit companies working in conditions that do not respect international law, human rights, or environmental law.

In 2015, the EU issued new guidelines for the labelling of products from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Under international law, all Jewish settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal.