The UK government plans to announce a trade ban on goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to people familiar with the matter. The move, one of Prime Minister Andy Burnham's biggest foreign policy steps since taking office in July, is expected to draw sharp criticism from Washington and Jerusalem.
The UK government is set to announce on Tuesday that it will ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, according to people familiar with the matter. The sanctions on goods from the territory rank among Burnham's biggest foreign policy interventions since he took power in July.
Miliband cites West Bank settlement expansion
According to the Financial Times, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband warned last week that London would "not acquiesce in the destruction of the two-state solution". He criticized illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Israel's far-right government for issuing tenders for about 1,200 Jewish housing units in the E1 area of the territory.
Miliband told MPs that Netanyahu's expansion of the E1 settlement has long been regarded as the crossing of a red line, because it cuts through the heart of the West Bank and risks making a Palestinian state unviable. His intervention came after he promised last month to set out a comprehensive set of measures within weeks in response to Israeli government policies. Miliband said Britain would impose sanctions on those who participate in illegal settlement expansion, aiming to support a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians.
Burnham briefs Trump ahead of the announcement
Burnham spoke to US President Donald Trump on Monday ahead of the expected statement by Miliband. Number 10 confirmed the leaders discussed the Middle East during the wide-ranging call, with Burnham setting out the UK's commitment to working toward peace and security in the region and stressing the importance of the two-state solution.
UK-Israeli relations have plunged to their lowest point in decades in recent years, as Britain grew increasingly concerned about Israel's conduct of its war against Hamas in Gaza and about violence against Palestinians by Jewish settlers in the West Bank.
Israeli and US officials warn of retaliation
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Netanyahu to expel the UK ambassador from Israel in response to the looming sanctions. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar had vowed last week that Israel would issue a reciprocal response to any UK action against the country.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee criticized the British government's stance last week, while Republican Congressman Randy Fine warned on Monday of reciprocal measures by Florida against British businesses that take part in the ban. Burnham and Netanyahu had not spoken since Burnham arrived in Downing Street seven weeks ago, British officials confirmed on Monday.
In the UK, the Conservative opposition has criticized the sanctions plan, with shadow foreign secretary Tom Tugendhat warning it threatens Britain's national security and could impede counterterrorism efforts given Israel's role as an intelligence partner. Some Labour MPs have welcomed the tougher stance, while Jewish community leaders have raised concerns that the move could marginalize British Jews if it extends into a wider de facto ban on Israeli goods.
Source: Financial Times
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