UK Sanctions Israeli Settlements, Says West Bank Occupation Is ‘Unlawful’

UK Special Coverage State of the Union: Britain, together with France and Canada, announced new trade restrictions on West Bank settlements. UK Special Coverage Photo by JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP via Getty Images Britain, France, and Canada rolled out new sanctions on Israeli settlements in the West Bank Tuesday. In a joint statement that was also signed by nine other European countries, the governments announced the imposition of “restrictions on trade in goods with settlements which are illegal under international law,” and called on Israel to “immediately halt the expansion of settlements and civilian administrative powers, ensure accountability for settler violence, and investigate allegations against Israeli forces.” The restrictions will bar the importation of products from West Bank settlements, as well as certain services associated with settlement expansion (like finance and construction). By imposing sanctions, the government of British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has broken with the policy of its predecessors. In a speech earlier today, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the decision marked “the beginning of a new approach,” and condemned the “ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank… perpetrated by settler terrorists.” He also said that Britain now regards the Israeli occupation of the West Bank itself—not just the construction of settlements—as “unlawful.” Subscribe Today Get daily emails in your inbox The Israeli government reacted by announcing the closure of the UK consulate in Jerusalem, among other countermeasures. Gideon Saar, Israel’s foreign minister, criticized what he called a “hostile Labour government” that was “systematically acting against the state of Israel.” Saar also said the sanctions announcement “carries echoes” of antisemitism, and threatened consequences for other countries that cut off settlement trade. The leader of Britain's opposition Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, also criticized the decision, writing in an op-ed Tuesday that the decision amounted to a “de facto boycott” of Israel and risked “fanning the flames of antisemitism.” As of this writing, it remains unclear how the United States will respond. President Trump has yet to comment, although Secretary of State Marco Rubio said earlier today that “obviously we’re not going to do what the UK did.”