Israeli settlement winemaker defiant after UK-led trade sanctions
Britain has said it will have nothing more from Israeli settlement businesses like Psagot winery in the occupied West Bank. But on Wednesday, as the clink of bottles mingled with chatter from customers, some armed with automatic weapons, the owners were defiant. Britain a day before led allies in a ban on exports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal under international…
More than six Arab and Muslim nations, such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey, expressed approval on Wednesday for UK sanctions aimed at Israeli settlements in the West Bank, encouraging other nations to follow suit. In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the eight countries affirmed their support for the UK's ban on importing goods from unlawful Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory.
Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt all applauded other Western powers for committing to restrict trade with these settlements. This development followed the British, French, and Canadian governments, along with nine other European nations, jointly announcing their plans to implement or endorse trade restrictions against Israeli settlements.
Their response was prompted by Israel's ongoing settlements policy and a surge in settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, with a UK minister characterizing Israel's actions as overlooking the "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians in the area. Israel responded with immediate retaliatory measures aimed at Britain shortly after.
The next day, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered another joint statement, warning that the settlements constitute a direct and urgent threat to the prospects of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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