The Arab Organization for Human Rights in the UK said that it is closely monitoring the investment projects that the UAE is setting up in settlements and in the occupied city of Jerusalem, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, in particular the Geneva Conventions, which consider settlements a war crime.
It is unlawful under the Fourth Geneva Convention for an occupying power to transfer parts of its own population into the territory it occupies. This means that international humanitarian law prohibits the establishment of settlements, as these are a form of population transfer into occupied territory.
The organization indicated in a statement that it is working on documenting these unprecedented activities by an Arab country to present a file to the International Criminal Court to prosecute and hold accountable Emirati leaders and businessmen involved in various businesses in the occupation’s settlements and in Jerusalem.
It added that on October 20, it was announced the establishment of the “Abraham” investment fund, and through this fund, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, the United Arab Emirates and (Israel) will finance more than $ 3 billion in investment and development initiatives led by the private sector to promote Regional economic cooperation and prosperity in the Middle East and beyond.
The organization also added that, according to Israeli officials, tremendous agreements have been reached between the occupation authorities and the UAE that would enhance trade cooperation between the two parties, modernize military checkpoints in the occupied West Bank, and open offices of various activities that represent the Israeli occupation in the UAE.
It drew attention to the UAE’s abolition of the boycott of Israel law issued in 1972 according to a presidential decree issued by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, President of the UAE at the end of last August, permitting commercial or financial agreements to be concluded with bodies or individuals residing in (Israel) or holding their nationality or working for its account anywhere, and the cancellation decision did not impose any restrictions, but rather came absolutely.
Law No. 15 of 1972 on the Boycott of the State of Israel, which consisted of 14 articles, prohibited Emirati corporations from having branches in the State of Israel or simultaneously conducting operations in Israel and the UAE. It also banned Emirati companies from concluding business deals with Israeli companies.
Law No. 15 of 1972
It mentioned that the Israeli occupation authorities expressed their happiness with this unconditional cooperation, which is in the interest of supporting settlement and liquidating the Palestinian issue and violating international law.
Meanwhile, the head of the Settlements Council in the West Bank, Yossi Dagan, said: “A strong and stable economy equals strong settlement.”
The organization emphasized that such agreements perpetuate the occupation and help exacerbate the suffering of the Palestinian people, which the Israeli occupation deprives of their right to manage their natural resources by confiscating their lands and limiting the free movement of goods and services between the Palestinian areas on the one hand, and between them and the outside world on the other hand.
It called on the rulers of the UAE to “not go far in normalizing relations with the Israeli occupation, and to realize that there are people whose rights have been violated for decades, and it is not permissible to support this occupation by any means because this is to encourage them to continue killing, demolishing homes, arresting and building settlements.”
On August 13, the UAE and the Israeli occupation reached an agreement to normalize relations between them, which was met with widespread Palestinian condemnation and considered “betrayal” by the UAE and a stab in the back of the Palestinian people.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=8436
