Source The Hindu
LONDON — In a major reset of bilateral relations, the United Kingdom announced a comprehensive ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, with British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband accusing “settler terrorists” of carrying out the “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians. The coordinated policy shift, backed by several international allies, marks a significant hardening of Western pressure over Israel’s ongoing occupation and settlement expansion.
Miliband informed the House of Commons that the UK will prohibit the import of all goods originating from illegal settlements. The restrictions will also target associated services, including financing, construction, infrastructure, real estate, and advertising linked to settlement expansion. Legislation to enact the moves will be introduced within six to nine months.
The diplomatic maneuver is part of a broader coalition effort. Miliband stated that France and Canada are set to announce similar trade bans. Meanwhile, several European nations—including the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Spain, and Norway—have already banned settlement goods or are in the process of doing so, while Nordic states and Poland have pledged support for further action.
In addition to the trade embargo, the UK has tightened its existing suspension of weapons sales to Israel. The embargo now extends to any arms or exports that “materially contribute to the occupation” of Palestinian territories. Miliband further warned that specific companies and individuals financing or facilitating illegal settlements will face the “full force of UK sanctions”.
The Labour government’s newly toughened stance is heavily motivated by the dramatic expansion of settlements under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ultranationalist government, specifically the E1 settlement project. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has warned that the E1 development would effectively bisect the West Bank, undermining the viability of a contiguous Palestinian state. Aligning with a 2024 International Court of Justice ruling, the British government has formally adopted the view that the occupation of the West Bank is unlawful.
The policy shift has triggered immediate and ferocious backlash from Israeli and American officials. Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned the move as a “grave miscalculation” and a “gross interference” in the sovereign nation’s upcoming October elections, while Foreign Minister Gideon Saar warned of reciprocal retaliation. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee criticized the sanctions as “discrimination against the Jewish people” and cautioned that Britain could face repercussions from the United States.
Domestically, Conservative shadow foreign secretary Tom Tugendhat argued that the ban would damage diplomatic ties and asserted that the deeply intertwined Israeli and Palestinian economies would render a targeted ban ineffective. However, recent polling suggests the measure is broadly popular in Britain, with nearly three-quarters of respondents who expressed an opinion backing a settlement trade ban.
