UK leads multi-country ban on Israeli illegal settlement goods
British foreign secretary Ed Miliband accused Israel of "ethnic cleansing" in the West Bank as a dozen countries backed restrictions on trade with settlements in response to rising attacks on Palestinians. Mr Miliband said the ban would be introduced through a "comprehensive sanctions regime", as he described Israel’s illegal expansion into the West Bank as “ethnic cleansing” "We will take action…
The UK has spearheaded a multi-country ban on trade with Israeli illegal settlement goods in response to escalating attacks on Palestinians. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described Israel's expansion into the West Bank as "ethnic cleansing" and declared the country's occupation of Palestinian territories unlawful. Eleven countries, including France, Canada, Denmark, and Poland, pledged to support or consider restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, as they are deemed illegal under international law.
The joint statement by the 12 foreign ministers emphasized that Israel's actions are undermining the prospects of a two-State solution. The UK government's move aligns with the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion, which concluded that Israel's occupation is unlawful. The British government aims to impose a double lock against arms sales, targeting only illegal settlements and not Israel itself.
However, critics fear that the policy could strain the UK's intelligence sharing agreement with Israel and potentially lead to a boycott of all Israeli goods.
Written by urgent.news from The National Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Israeli court rejects three petitions to halt illegal E1 settlement plan thenationalnews.com
