West must use leverage to end Israeli settlements, says Anwar

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim addressed the 12 western foreign ministers in New Delhi, emphasizing the overdue joint statement on measures against illegal Israeli settlements. The statement, he argued, must be accompanied by "firm implementation" as the governments of these nations should leverage their diplomatic and economic influence over Israel to halt settlement expansion, address Gaza's devastation, and ensure unobstructed humanitarian access.

Anwar highlighted that Britain, Canada, and France would move to ban trade with settlement goods, joining other European nations that have already enacted such prohibitions. He also acknowledged UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband's remarks in the House of Commons, where the UK has formally recognized the illegality of the Israeli occupation and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in West Bank territories by the alleged "settler terrorists."

The Malaysian leader called for robust, binding measures to uphold international law, safeguard Palestinian rights, and achieve a just and enduring peace in the Middle East. The foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the UK had recently voted to impose restrictions on trade in goods with settlements, which are deemed unlawful under international law.