Countries denounce Israel but keep trading with it
As Israel’s killing of Palestinians continues fast and slow, through air strikes and starvation, the foreign ministers of 28 countries have signed a statement calling for an end to Israel’s war on Gaza.
As these countries deploy words months after the United Nations and other groups warned of an oncoming famine, there has been little action on other fronts.
Some of these countries have recognised the Palestinian state while France last week angered Israeli officials by announcing it would do the same in September.
Still, many critics have pointed out that as countries make these statements, many of them continue to benefit from trade with Israel and have not imposed sanctions or taken any other action that could push Israel to end its genocidal war on Gaza.
The war has killed at least 59,821 people in Gaza and wounded 144,477.
Here’s all you need to know about the countries profiting from Israel while condemning its military action:
How much do the signatories of the statement trade with Israel?
Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom all have more than $1bn in imports, exports or both with Israel, according to 2023 figures from the Observatory of Economic Complexity.
What do these countries trade with Israel?
Among the top items being traded are cars and other motor vehicles, integrated circuits, vaccines and perfumes.
About $3.58bn in integrated circuits is the largest individual product going to Ireland, making up the overwhelming majority of Ireland’s imports from Israel.
Meanwhile, Italy exports to Israel more than any other country that signed the statement. Its $3.49bn of exports included $116m in cars in 2023.
Smoke rises from an Israeli air strike in the northern Gaza Strip near Beit Hanoon, as seen from Israel on July 27, 2025 [Atef Safadi/EPA]
Do these countries recognise Palestine?
Of those countries that issued the statement, Ireland and Spain recognised Palestine in 2024 and have spoken strongly against Israel’s actions in Gaza. Still, that hasn’t stopped them from continuing trade with Israel.
Seven other countries that signed the statement also recognise the State of Palestine, including Cyprus, Malta and Poland, all of which recognised Palestine in 1988, shortly after the Palestinian Declaration of Independence.
Iceland (2011), Sweden (2014), Norway (2024) and Slovenia (2024) also recognise the State of Palestine while France said it will do so in September at the United Nations General Assembly.
Who signed the statement?
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.
All of them are still trading with Israel.
What was Israel’s reaction to the statement?
As expected.
Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote on X that Israel rejects the statement, saying “it is disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas.”
[Al Jazeera]
What else are countries trading with Israel doing?
France, Germany and the UK called for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza and “unconditional release of all hostages” after they held an emergency call to discuss the war and the hunger crisis created by Israel’s siege and aid blockade on the enclave.
Has any of this made Israel change its behaviour?
Attention has turned heavily towards the starvation of Palestinians in Gaza, leading even longtime Israeli stalwart supporters like former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to address the issue.
This pressure has led Israel to announce “tactical pauses” for “humanitarian purposes” from 10am to 8pm (07:00 to 17:00 GMT) in al-Mawasi, Deir el-Balah and Gaza City. They started on Sunday.
Despite the pauses, Israeli forces killed at least 43 Palestinians early on Sunday.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said on Sunday that it had recorded six more deaths over 24 hours due to famine and malnutrition, including two children.
This brings the total number of starvation deaths to 133, including 87 children.