Five organizations identifying as human rights groups filed a legal challenge Wednesday with France's highest administrative court, seeking to compel the government to halt trade and investment relations that support Israel's presence beyond the 1949 Green Line armistice boundary in eastern Jerusalem and the West Bank.
The International Centre for Justice for Palestinians, Law for Palestine, International Federation for Human Rights, Association des juristes pour le respect du droit international and the Ligue des droits de l'Homme based their petition on a July 2024 International Court of Justice opinion and a later United Nations General Assembly resolution, both non-binding, arguing that Jewish settlements beyond the Green Line are illegal and must be removed.
The organizations had previously submitted requests to French government ministries for compliance but received no response.
France recognized a Palestinian state in September 2025 and regularly votes against Israel at the U.N. Security Council. The country has adopted European Union policy distinguishing between goods produced within internationally recognized Israeli borders and those from disputed territories. France has also imposed sanctions on Israeli officials including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir related to activities in those areas.
The plaintiffs are requesting that the court establish a blacklist of companies operating in Jewish communities beyond the Green Line and prohibit French nationals from conducting business with them, including banning investments and freezing assets.
The Open Society Justice Initiative, linked to the George Soros-backed Open Society Foundations, is advising the organizations. "The International Court of Justice left no doubt that states cannot stand on the sidelines when faced with legal obligations," Stated James Goldston, executive director of Open Society Justice Initiative. "International law only has force if states are prepared to implement it in practice."