Rights groups sue France over failure to stop corporate support for Israel’s occupation

Five human rights organisations have launched legal action against the French government over its failure to prevent French companies and financial institutions from contributing to Israel’s unlawful occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Jurists for the Respect of International Law (JURDI), the International Centre for Justice for Palestinians (ICJP), La Ligue des Droits Humains (LDH) and Law for Palestine filed the challenge before the Conseil d’État, France’s highest administrative court, on 22 July, 2026. 

The organisations want the court to order the French government to introduce effective regulatory and enforcement measures restricting trade, investment and other commercial activities that help sustain Israel’s illegal occupation.

The defendants include the French prime minister and ministers responsible for the economy, foreign affairs and commerce. Lawyers Henri Thulliez, Yacine Baita and Frédéric Thiriez represent the applicants, who are also advised by the Open Society Justice Initiative.

The case draws heavily on the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) landmark advisory opinion of 19 July, 2024, which found that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful and must end “as rapidly as possible”.

The World Court also clarified that all states must neither recognise as legal the situation created by Israel’s unlawful presence nor provide aid or assistance that helps maintain it. This includes an obligation to prevent trade and investment relations that contribute to the illegal situation in occupied Palestine. 

The applicants argue that France has acknowledged these obligations publicly but has failed to translate them into binding domestic measures governing the conduct of French businesses and financial institutions.

“The International Court of Justice left no doubt that states cannot stand on the sidelines when faced with legal obligations,” said James Goldston, executive director of the Open Society Justice Initiative, in a press release.

“This case is about ensuring that France halts any aid or assistance for the unlawful occupation of Palestine. International law only has force if states are prepared to implement it in practice,” Goldstine added.

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Ihsan Adel, founder and chair of Law for Palestine, stressed that states “cannot comply with their obligations while settlement goods remain on their markets and corporations continue settlement-related business activities.”

In the press release announcing the legal challenge, the rights groups revealed that  before filing the case, the organisations formally asked the French government to adopt measures preventing trade and investment that sustain Israel’s occupation and ensuring that French companies do not contribute to it.

The government did not answer the request within the required period. Under French administrative law, its silence constituted an implicit administrative decision that the organisations could challenge before the Conseil d’État.

France issued updated recommendations to businesses on 30 June, 2026, warning French companies, subsidiaries and citizens about the legal, economic and reputational risks associated with activities in illegal Israeli settlements.

The guidance warned that companies involved in settlement activity could be found responsible for violating international law. It also reminded importers of the rules governing the labelling of products originating in territories occupied by Israel. 

However, the claimants maintain that non-binding recommendations do not fulfil France’s obligation to prevent corporate and financial support for the occupation.

“Despite the ICJ’s 2024 advisory opinion deeming the occupation illegal, France has not acted, making legal action necessary to end its corporate support to the illegal situation in occupied Palestine,” explained JURDI vice-president Ghislain Poissonnier.

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The organisations cite evidence which, they say, shows that French businesses remain involved in transportation, construction, finance and commercial services connected to the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

They want the court to declare the government’s inaction unlawful and order it to introduce binding measures. Proposed steps include restrictions on occupation-linked trade and investment, safeguards for corporate conduct, monitoring mechanisms and rules preventing French financial institutions from supporting companies involved in maintaining or expanding illegal settlements.

The claimants have also proposed excluding occupation-linked businesses from public procurement and establishing a regularly updated database of French companies involved in economic activities that contribute to Israel’s unlawful presence in occupied Palestine. 

The case comes despite France’s formal recognition of the State of Palestine on 22 September, 2025. The applicants argue that recognition must be accompanied by concrete action addressing the economic relationships that help sustain Israel’s occupation and settlement enterprise. 

LDH president Nathalie Tehio warned that expanding corporate involvement risks facilitating Israel’s annexation of the occupied West Bank.

“France must adopt binding measures to ensure compliance with international law, including the ICJ’s advisory opinion,” she insisted.

ICJP director Tayab Ali described the French proceedings as an attempt to “move beyond expressions of concern toward accountability,” insisting that international legal obligations must be enforceable before independent courts.

The applicants believe the case could clarify how governments must regulate companies whose commercial activities are linked to serious violations of international law.

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