U.S. Jewish umbrella group condemns import ban on goods from Israeli settlements

A Jewish American umbrella group has spoken out against economic discrimination against Israelis, urging the UK, France, and Canada to reverse their recent measures. The group stated that such discrimination will not bring Israelis and Palestinians closer to peace.

The UK, Canada, and France have recently introduced restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank. According to the Jerusalem Post, the Canadian government announced the ban alongside international leaders, citing the need for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The UK's Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband accused the Israeli government of turning a "blind eye" to what he called "ethnic cleansing" by settlers in the West Bank.

Several countries, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and seven other Arab and Muslim nations, have welcomed the UK's decision to ban imports from Israeli settlements. In a joint statement, their foreign ministers expressed hope that the international community would take similar action in accordance with international law and hold accountable settlement organizations and individuals engaged in illegal settlement activities.

Brief written by urgent.news from Haaretz, Jerusalem Post, Dawn, Dawn - Pakistan, Saudi Gazette — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.