Middle East: "Ethnic cleansing": sanctions against settlers spark dispute between Britain and Israel
The British government describes the occupation of parts of the West Bank as illegal and announces punitive measures. A sharp reaction follows from Jerusalem.
The UK government has imposed economic sanctions on Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, a move also supported by France and Canada. UK Foreign Minister Ed Miliband accused Jewish settlers of carrying out "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians in parts of the West Bank, and announced an import ban on goods from illegal settlements.
In response, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar denounced the allegations as "shameless lies" and announced countermeasures, including the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem and an entry ban on 12 British individuals, including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. The US, however, has declined to join the sanctions, with US Foreign Minister Marco Rubio stating that the US will not support the British initiative.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
