US drafted memo condemning UK over West Bank sanctions, but it was never released - report

US officials in Jerusalem and Washington drafted a memo in early September condemning UK, France, and Canada's plans to block imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, but the statement was never released. The draft, prepared by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and driven by an influential aide to US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, accused the countries of engaging in antisemitic boycotts, divestments, and sanctions tactics.

However, the White House and State Department senior leadership did not support the statement, and Rubio refrained from criticizing the decision or any particular country during a press conference in Florida. The episode highlights a widening divide between the White House and Trump's senior diplomats in Israel regarding how to respond to the expansion of Israeli settlements under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, as well as a growing ideological split within the American right over support for Israel.

Brief written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.