UK set to ban trade with Israeli settlements in West Bank on Tuesday, 'Post' learns - exclusive

The United Kingdom will announce a ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank on Tuesday, sources told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.The news is not exactly unexpected: Foreign Minister Ed Miliband already stated on August 19 that he would be setting out a comprehensive set of measures in "the coming weeks."Nevertheless, the timing of the expected announcement, just days before Jewish New Year, may shock British Jews.Tuesday's announcement is likely to take place in the afternoon, after a 9:30 a.m. Westminster Hall debate on Jewish safety.The new measures will likely include a ban on goods produced in the settlements and targeted sanctions on British institutions and individuals.Jewish groups, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council, have expressed concerns that the sanctions could further damage the UK-Israel relationship and have a harmful impact on UK Jews.UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said the UK government's intended sanctions will be "counterproductive and even endanger such a vision of peace.”The chief rabbi added that many in the community view the measures with deep dismay, warning they risk spiraling into a de facto boycott of Israel and threatening the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Palestinian workers.Mirvis also noted that “these measures will also disproportionately affect British Jews because of our close religious, family, charitable, and educational ties to Israel."New Shadow Foreign Secretary Tom Tugendhat warned in The Telegraph on Sunday that damaging diplomatic relations with the Jewish state could lead to harm for British citizens.He said terrorist attacks on British soil had been foiled by the UK's security services as a direct result of Israeli intelligence sources sharing information with their British counterparts.Jonathan Turner, chief executive of UK Lawyers for Israel, told the Post on Monday: "We have shown that a general ban on imports of goods produced in areas of Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria into the UK would contravene World Trade Organization agreements, bilateral agreements between the UK and Israel, and EU law which continues to apply in relation to Northern Ireland.""Such a ban would also be counter-productive since it would harm the Palestinian economy and cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians," he said."However, UK government policy towards Israel is driven not by rational consideration but by rage based on false stories about Israel which they and their supporters gullibly believe. The situation in the UK seems to be reverting to the Middle Ages."Additionally, on Monday, Downing Street confirmed to the Telegraph that UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has not spoken to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since becoming Prime Minister 50 days ago.This comes despite the UK Government pressing ahead with plans to impose fresh sanctions on the Jewish state.The Post reached out to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which declined to comment at the moment. The Post did not hear back from 10 Downing Street at the time of writing.