UK Bans Trade With Israeli Settlements in West Bank, Accuses Settler Terrorists of Ethnic Cleansing

The United Kingdom announced on Tuesday that it would ban trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, accusing “settler terrorists” of carrying out “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians.

“The United Kingdom on Tuesday banned trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank”

AP News

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the U.K. will ban imports of all goods from the settlements and bar companies from providing services for the settlements, including financing, construction, infrastructure, real estate and advertising.

ABC News

Miliband said, “I do not believe the British people want us supporting the occupation by accepting products from settlements in our shops and supermarkets,” as the measures were framed as a toughening of Britain’s stance toward a longtime ally.

A joint statement from British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank “pose a direct and urgent threat” to the two-state solution.

Israel responded angrily, with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar saying Israel would close the British consulate in Jerusalem and take other countermeasures after the UK, France and Canada moved to block imports from settlements.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the British move was “morally distorted, and constitutes blatant interference in the affairs of a sovereign state and its electoral process,” while describing Miliband’s comments about ethnic cleansing as “outrageous lies.”

Saar also said Israel would close the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, remove British representatives from the International Gaza Support Center in Kiryat Gat, end British training of Palestinian Authority security forces in the West Bank, and bar 12 British politicians and nationals from entering Israel.

Al Jazeera

In Parliament, Miliband said, “Today marks a further turning point in our approach to protecting the two-state solution,” and he argued Britain could no longer simply “call out” injustice and suffering but had to act against settlement expansion.

The U.K. chief rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, condemned the plans as “a dark day for British Jews,” and said the measures would “succeed only in bolstering the very extremism they seek to target.”

Reuters reported that the trade bans were expected to be in place in six to nine months, while the U.K. said it would target goods originating specifically from settlements rather than imposing a wider ban on Israeli products.R

The U.K. government said the sanctions regime was intended to support the two-state solution, with Miliband telling lawmakers that the measures were aimed at settlements rather than Israel itself and that the official view was that “the occupation [of the West Bank] is unlawful.”

“Today I announce that the official view of the British government is that the occupation [of the West Bank] is unlawful”

CNBC

Miliband said the British government agreed there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank, “perpetrated by settler terrorists,” and he described the policy as “the prelude to justice.”

Reuters reported that the focus of recent concerns is Israel’s E1 settlement project in the West Bank not far from Jerusalem, which would cut across land the Palestinians seek for a future independent state.R

The U.S. response was framed as caution about consequences, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning the sanctions could be destabilising for the West Bank and saying Washington would not block imports from Israeli settlements.

In Israel’s counter-response, Saar said Israel would coordinate its response with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and accused Britain of interfering in Israel’s upcoming elections, due in late October.