The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement welcoming the initiative announced by Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The ministry described the move as reflecting growing international momentum behind the two-state solution while countering settlement expansion that contravenes UN Security Council Resolution 2334. Kuwait called on additional countries to follow suit with similar restrictions and reiterated its firm rejection of any attempts to annex Palestinian land or displace residents from Gaza or the West Bank.
According to the ministry’s statement, restricting trade with settlement-linked goods represents a concrete measure against policies that undermine prospects for Palestinian statehood with East Jerusalem as its capital. The ministry reaffirmed Kuwait’s longstanding support for the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent state based on the 1967 borders. A joint statement from the 12 countries’ foreign ministers cited escalating settler violence and continued settlement growth as direct threats to a negotiated peace.
The 12 nations outlined plans to introduce national trade bans or back European-level restrictions on products originating from settlements deemed illegal under international law. Their announcement highlighted how such activities erode the viability of a contiguous Palestinian state, a position echoed in the International Court of Justice advisory opinion issued on 19 July 2024. The ministry’s response aligns with Kuwait’s consistent diplomatic stance on the issue, which has included repeated calls for compliance with relevant United Nations resolutions.
Settlement construction in the occupied West Bank has drawn widespread condemnation from multiple international bodies, with Resolution 2334 demanding an immediate halt to such activities. The ministry’s statement placed the 12-country move within a broader pattern of increasing global efforts to uphold international law in the Palestinian territories. Kuwait further urged the international community to build on these steps to prevent any forced demographic changes in the region.
Foreign ministers from the participating countries issued their joint declaration on the same day as Kuwait’s response, framing the trade curbs as essential to preserving peace prospects. The ministry noted that the coordinated action demonstrates a shared commitment to the two-state framework endorsed by the Arab Peace Initiative. Officials emphasized that Kuwait will continue advocating for measures that hold accountable those involved in sustaining illegal settlement operations.
The initiative arrives amid ongoing regional tensions, where settlement-related issues have featured prominently in multilateral discussions at the United Nations and other forums. Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has historically used such statements to reinforce its backing for Palestinian rights without deviation from established policy positions. The 12 countries involved represent a cross-section of European and North American governments seeking to align trade practices more closely with their stated support for international legality.
