Britain is set to impose sweeping trade sanctions against goods made in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, in what would be the most far-reaching action by a major ally against Israel’s settlement policy, seven officials briefed on the plan said Wednesday. UK Prepares Ban
The restrictions, to be announced as soon as today by new Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who replaced Yvette Cooper this week, would exclude settlement-made products from Britain’s pot of about £6 billion ($12 billion) of goods traded with Israel annually, although they comprise only a small fraction of total British-Israeli trade.
Three officials said the proposals would also include sanctions against firms that participated in the building of the settlements. Britain is seeking to join Australia, Canada and France in mounting pressure on Israel, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions were not public.
Miliband was due to discuss Israel-Palestine issues with his French and Australian counterparts during meetings in London later this week, as well as with Canada’s foreign minister, said one of the officials.
The step follows months of escalating friction between London and Jerusalem, as Israel has drawn increasing international criticism over its expanding control of the West Bank in the aftermath of the Gaza war.
Britain has already sanctioned entities accused of financing settler violence and previously issued guidance drawing a clear distinction between trade with Israel inside its pre-1967 borders, which remains supported, and commerce tied to the settlements, which the UK regards as a separate and unlawful matter under international law.
Britain’s Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, warned last week that a ban on settlement trade risked sliding into what he called a broader, unofficial boycott of Israel altogether — a concern likely to fuel debate domestically as the policy takes shape.
Analysts say the ban’s economic impact will likely remain largely symbolic given the limited share of UK-Israel trade tied to settlements, but several believe the move could embolden other European governments considering similar or harder-hitting sanctions.
The announcement builds on a broader pattern of UK measures over the past year, including sanctions on settlers accused of violence and an earlier suspension of free trade talks with Israel amid the Gaza conflict. Al-Alawasat News
