Fallout continued over the UK government’s decision to ban imports of goods produced in Israeli settlements. While US President Donald Trump did not oppose the move, Axios reported, Israel responded by closing the British consulate in East Jerusalem.
Britain signed a joint statement with 11 other countries, France, Canada, Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Portugal and Spain, saying they would impose or consider trade restrictions on settlements deemed illegal under international law.
Last August, Israel announced a tender to build about 1,200 settlement units east of Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank as part of the “E1 project.” Britain and its allies condemned the move, saying it “undermines the prospect of the two-state solution.”
Details of the UK decision
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said in a statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday that Britain would ban imports of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. The new sanctions regime is expected to take effect within six to nine months.
He said the government had also decided on a new ban on arms licenses and other exports that “materially contribute to the occupation,” along with a comprehensive sanctions regime targeting companies and individuals that provide services such as construction or financing for Israeli settlements, as well as a ban on advertising settlements in the UK.
He also pointed to personal sanctions against key individuals accused of promoting settler violence.
The minister stressed that the sanctions would target settlements and settlement expansion, not Israel itself, and said Britain would continue to support trade with Israel within its pre-1967 borders.
He added that London refuses “to be a bystander to the destruction of the two-state solution.”
Despite the announcement, the minister stressed that the move did not amount to support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, known as BDS.
The new sanctions are expected to ban products made in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including agricultural goods such as dates, avocados, mangoes, grapes and fresh herbs, as well as wine, olive oil, and some consumer products.
Israeli response
Israel’s response came quickly. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said his government had decided to close the British consulate in East Jerusalem and end the participation of British representatives in the international support and coordination center for Gaza in Kiryat Gat.
The minister also announced that Britain would no longer participate in training Palestinian Authority security forces in the West Bank and that 12 Britons, including politicians and lawmakers, would be barred from entering Israel.
Saar described Britain’s move as “a moral distortion” and interference in Israel’s internal affairs and electoral process, particularly with Israeli elections scheduled for October.
He said that “measures taken against Israel will not go unanswered,” warning that Israel could take similar steps against other countries if it believed they were acting against Israeli interests.
In responding to the Israeli decisions, Britain’s foreign secretary said Wednesday that what Israel had done was “regrettable and damaging,” adding that his government “anticipated this might happen.”
Asked whether Britain was prepared for a tougher Israeli response, particularly regarding trade and security cooperation, he said, “I am confident that our security cooperation with Israel will continue.”
Britain is not alone
The British decision came alongside a joint statement by 12 countries saying they would impose or consider national or European restrictions on trade with settlements deemed illegal under international law.
The joint statement described the situation in the West Bank as “rapidly deteriorating,” citing “unprecedented levels of settler violence and settlement expansion.”
The signatories called on the Israeli government to halt settlement expansion and ensure accountability for those responsible for settler violence.
They said their goal was to protect the two-state solution and prevent steps toward annexing Palestinian territory or forcibly displacing Palestinians.
France and Canada, for their part, announced their intention to ban imports of goods produced in settlements, while Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Portugal and Sweden said they would support further measures.
There is no comprehensive European agreement on a unified ban on Israeli goods from settlements. Ireland, Spain, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands have previously taken similar steps, while countries such as Germany oppose broader trade sanctions.
The White House has not announced a clear position on the new British decision. Axios reported that British Prime Minister Andy Burnham briefed US President Donald Trump on the move before it was announced and that Trump did not object.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Washington “will not do what Britain did,” adding that the US did not want measures that could further increase tensions in the West Bank amid sensitive regional conditions.
Despite that, the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, strongly criticized the British sanctions, calling them “Jew hate.” Axios reported that the White House distanced itself from the ambassador’s remarks, saying his position had not been coordinated with the White House or State Department.
Palestinian welcome
The Palestinian Authority welcomed the British sanctions, saying they were “a step against settlement expansion and violations of international law.” National Council President Ruhi Fattouh said the decision reflected “a political and moral position worthy of appreciation” and represented important pressure on the Israeli government to reconsider policies based on aggression, racism and violations of international law.
Hamas also welcomed the decision but called it “insufficient” and demanded broader international measures against Israel.
Egypt welcomed the UK decision and, according to a Foreign Ministry statement, supported the joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of 12 countries on protecting the two-state solution. Egypt also backed calls for national and European measures to restrict trade in goods from illegal Israeli settlements and for an immediate halt to settlement expansion and accountability for settler violence.
Jordan also welcomed the move, saying the measures target Israeli policies that entrench the occupation and undermine the two-state solution.
The Arab League praised the European move, saying it was “a step in the right direction” toward confronting Israel’s illegal settlement system and restoring accountability.
Arab Parliament President Mohamed Al-Yammahi also welcomed the British move and the joint statement by the foreign ministers of the 12 countries, describing them as “an important shift from political condemnation to practical action” against the system of colonization and annexation being pursued by the Israeli occupation authorities.
