Israel-UK Relations Nosedive as Foreign Secretary Announces Punitive Measures

Bilateral relations between Israel and the United Kingdom have plummeted to depths unseen in the decades since the sunset of the British mandate over Palestine in May 1948. In a September 8 announcement to the British Parliament, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband made clear that Britain’s ruling Labour Party now considers Israel’s entire presence in the territories of eastern Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria “unlawful” — a hardening of the previous position that only individual settlements are “illegal.” Miliband pledged that legislation designed to pressure Israel economically and diplomatically would be operational within the next nine months. UK Lasers In on Alleged Israeli Offenses While Miliband offered assurances that the measures are aimed at preserving the “two-state solution,” they are entirely targeted against Israel, ostensibly triggered by Israeli plans to construct new housing in the “E1” bloc around Jerusalem. As a result, the United Kingdom is imposing a ban on the import of goods produced by Israeli communities in the disputed areas. It has confirmed that individuals and companies providing services to these communities, such as mortgages, face sanctions; proscribed the advertising of properties for sale in Judea and Samaria; and expanded sanctions on “terrorist settlers.” Critically, Miliband’s overhaul of existing British policy entails the rejection of license applications for arms exports. This will damage the UK-Israel security relationship, which has provided Britain with, inter alia, Israeli intelligence on Islamist terrorist groups, joint training exercises with the IDF, and a cybersecurity partner already deemed “tier 1” by the British government. The UK approach contrasts markedly with that of Germany, which is upgrading defense relations with Israel. Pro-Israel critics of Miliband have argued that the measures pander to the pro-Palestinian lobby and will have little impact on the approximately $8.1 billion of annual trade between the United Kingdom and Israel. However, a ban on the import of goods from Judea and Samaria could have a sweeping impact under a maximalist interpretation of the rule, since companies based inside Israel’s 1948 borders may have operations in the disputed territories. Miliband Confirms UK Open to ‘Genocide’ Label The foreign secretary left the door open to the false accusation that Israel committed a “genocide” in Gaza during the war that followed the Hamas mass atrocities of October 7, 2023. While he did not adopt the label in his September 8 remarks, Miliband stressed that the British government would abide by whatever determination was reached by the International Court of Justice, where a cluster of anti-Israel states have been pressing a “genocide” case against the Israeli government. Claiming that Gaza had experienced “death, destruction and dehumanization on an appalling scale,” Miliband also referred to previous genocides in Bosnia, Cambodia, Rwanda, and Iraq. He failed to note that none of these examples were preceded by the sort of massacre witnessed on October 7, although he acknowledged, in accordance with the U.S. peace plan for Gaza, that Hamas should have no role in the enclave’s future. Israel Retaliates Israel responded harshly to Miliband’s speech, declaring that the British Consulate in eastern Jerusalem would be shuttered, that British personnel at the Gaza coordination center in southern Israel would be removed, and that the United Kingdom’s training program for Palestinian Authority security forces would end. The Israelis also banned 12 British citizens from entering the country, including former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, five members of Parliament from the antisemitic, far-left Green Party, and an Islamist lawyer whose firm concentrates on combating “the failed, fascist experiment currently known as ‘Israel.’” U.S. Must Boost Israel’s Position Against UK’s New Policy The U.S. administration has yet to react substantively to the United Kingdom’s measures, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying only that “obviously, we’re not going to do what the UK did.” Washington should vociferously condemn the UK’s decision. It should urge U.S. entities to consult boycott-related prohibitions and reporting requirements set forth in the Ribicoff Amendment to the 1976 Tax Reform Act. Relatedly, the Department of Commerce’s Office of Antiboycott Compliance (OAC) should issue notices that companies complying with these sanctions efforts targeting Israel may be in violation of U.S. law. Ben Cohen is a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). Edmund Fitton-Brown is a senior fellow at FDD. For more analysis from the authors, please subscribe HERE. Follow FDD on X @FDD. Follow Edmund on X @EFittonBrown. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.