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Law for Palestine publishes a study outlining the economic obligations of third states towards ending complicity in Israel’s Illegal Occupation on the Palestinian territory
17 April 2025 – Law for Palestine’s new legal brief, titled: “Third State Economic Responsibility in light of the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on the Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem”, provides a concise overview of the economic obligations arising for third states as a result of Israel’s violations of peremptory norms of international law. The study explores the measures third states must take to end their complicity in Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine, and provides a brief summary of trade, investment, and corporate obligations.
The study, authored by several experts including Kinda Muhamadieh, Lara Elborno, Tara Van Ho, and Shahd Hammouri, with research contributions from Anisha Patel, Henriette Willberg, and others, outlines the concrete consequences of the ICJ Advisory Opinion, which reaffirmed Israel’s violations of fundamental principles of international law. The Court reiterated that third states have a duty to not recognise, not support, and bring an end to this unlawful situation. This research provides a concise legal framework, drawing on international law, historical precedents and economic analysis, and is intended as a policy tool for governments, legal professionals and civil society organizations working towards decolonisation and economic justice.
For decades, international discussions around Israel’s occupation have centered on political negotiations and human rights violations. The concept of Third State Economic Responsibility broadens this focus to include economic and legal accountability, offering a practical and legally-grounded framework for organisations, activists and policymakers to hold states accountable and to ensure compliance with international law.
This booklet is essential reading for policymakers, legal scholars, human rights advocates and businesses seeking to understand:
- The legal obligations for third states arising from Israel’s violations of jus cogens norms, including its denial of Palestinian self-determination as well as its policies of annexation and apartheid.
- How third states can—and must—halt economic relations that sustain Israel’s illegal presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
- Why partial measures, such as banning trade with settlements alone, are insufficient and why states must impose full trade restrictions and arms embargoes.
- The role of corporations and financial institutions in upholding business and human rights principles by disengaging from Israel’s unlawful occupation economy.