Britain has announced sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, accusing the Israeli government of turning a blind eye to ethnic cleansing against Palestinians, the BBC reports.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the decision marked the beginning of a new approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would not only address injustice and suffering but also take real action. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar responded by accusing Miliband of spreading blatant lies and announcing countermeasures, including the closure of the British consulate in East Jerusalem.
The new British sanctions not only ban products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, but will also impose restrictions on companies and individuals providing services to support settlement expansion. France and Canada have also imposed sanctions, with Britain saying in a joint statement that the move marks a turning point in the approach to preserving the two-state solution.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law and there has been a surge in violence against Palestinians in recent months. In a statement to parliamentarians, Miliband said the British government agreed that ethnic cleansing against Palestinians was taking place in the West Bank by terrorist settlers. He stressed that the Israeli government too often turns a blind eye to this and, worse, government officials speak and act in ways that support the violent displacement of Palestinians.
Miliband said the UN defines ethnic cleansing as a deliberate policy by one ethnic or religious group
aimed at the violent expulsion of another ethnic or religious group from a specific area.
The British Foreign Secretary stated that the official position of the government is that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, taking into account the consolidation of control, the intention to extend permanent sovereignty and the expansion program through illegal settlements, is illegal. This position should also be reflected in Britain’s economic relations with the occupied West Bank. Accordingly, within the next six to nine months, Britain will introduce a new, comprehensive sanctions regime. Miliband also announced a ban on advertising illegal settlements in the West Bank. The sanctions regime will be aimed at illegal settlements and their expansion, not Israel.
Saar, announcing the closure of the British consulate, said that he knew that Israel has many friends in Britain. Unfortunately, a hostile Labour government is in power, which constantly opposes the state of Israel, and there is no choice but to respond to its actions. He added that 11 British parliamentarians will be banned from entering the country due to anti-Semitic and anti-Israel activities.
Meanwhile, the British, together with France, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Portugal and Sweden, have issued a statement indicating that the group of countries remains committed to the two-state solution, and will introduce national sanctions or support European restrictions on trade with the West Bank.
Britain’s latest statement came after Israel opened a tender for the construction of 1,200 homes in the so-called E1 zone,
a strategically important area east of Jerusalem. The plans have drawn international condemnation. Israel has so far avoided building in the E1 area under international pressure.
Miliband told MPs that Britain’s new approach was necessary because Israel’s construction plans in the West Bank, cutting into the “heart of Palestine,” would make a two-state solution impossible. At the same time, Miliband said that the October 2023 attack by the terrorist group Hamas, which started the war in Gaza, carried echoes of centuries of persecution of Jews, and stressed that Israel had the right to protect its people and defend its territory. He added that this did not justify what had been done in Gaza, and said that international human rights law set clear rules for states at war, including ensuring access to food and medical supplies, avoiding mass displacement of populations, and protecting civilians. The minister said that the incident, including the actions of the Israeli armed forces, has been thoroughly investigated, and the conclusions point to war crimes.
Israeli leaders deny that genocide and crimes against humanity and war crimes were committed. They insist that Israeli forces acted in accordance with international law.
Israeli President
Isaac Herzog said on the 8th of September that the British decision would be “on the wrong side of history.”
He stressed that the sanctions would directly affect the Palestinians and called on foreign governments to engage in constructive dialogue and cooperation, adding that “sanctions are not the solution.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that the White House had no comment on the decision of other countries, but added that the Americans would not do what Britain did. Earlier, the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said the US – Israel’s strongest ally – would undoubtedly respond to the sanctions, and warned that British businesses would be hit hard economically.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority welcomed the British decision, saying it was a significant step in confronting Israel’s colonial system and its abuses against the Palestinians.
The decision to impose sanctions comes almost a year after former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government recognised Palestinian statehood and said Britain had a moral obligation to support a peaceful future for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Israel has rejected the two-state solution. It believes that any outcome must be achieved through negotiations with the Palestinians, and statehood should not be the main prerequisite. The Palestinian Authority supports a two-state solution, while Hamas does not, as it opposes the existence of Israel. Hamas has indicated that it could recognize a provisional Palestinian state within the 1967 borders if refugees are allowed to return, but without formal recognition of Israel.
Since 1967, when Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem, it has built 160 settlements, home to about 700,000 Jews. The territory is also home to 3.3 million Palestinians.
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