Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekat.

Ramallah : Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekat said on Tuesday that the Palestinian Authority will take legal measures against Israeli banks for financing settlements built illegally in the occupied territories.

Reacting to a new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) highlighting how Israeli banks perpetuate settler colonialism, Erekat said the report exposed something already known and that is how Israeli and international companies bankroll unlawful Israeli activities.

“This report clarifies for international audiences the role that Israeli banks play in the Israeli colonial-settlement enterprise in the territory of the occupied state of Palestine,” said Erekat in a statement.

“This is not a novel, new, or an isolated case; there are several Israeli and international companies that profit from the apartheid system imposed by Israel. Yet, several countries that claim to support the two-state solution continue to allow their companies to take part in this illegal enterprise,” he added.

The PLO official said that the Palestinian position is clear: “We will continue to denounce the activity of banks and other companies that profit from the occupation of Palestine and we will take all necessary legal and political measures against those who contribute to the systematic denial of our rights.”

—AB/UNA-OIC