{
  "id": 9479644,
  "title": "US draft on UK Israel curbs never saw daylight",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/us-draft-on-uk-israel-curbs-never-saw-daylight",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T02:58:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Economic Times",
    "slug": "the-economic-times",
    "url": "https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/us-drafted-rubio-memo-condemning-uk-over-west-bank-sanctions-it-was-never-released/articleshow/134449930.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In early September, US officials in Jerusalem and Washington prepared a draft statement, though it was never released. The document, attributed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, criticized the UK, France, and Canada for blocking imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. According to the draft, these actions were seen as hostile measures against Israel and a contribution to antisemitism, likening them to the tactics of the boycotts, divestments, and sanctions movement. The statement, which drew influence from David Milstein, a top aide to US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, was reportedly not supported by the White House or senior leadership, and Rubio refrained from criticizing the UK's decision or any specific country in an interview. The episode reflects a growing divide between the White House and senior diplomats in Israel over the appropriate response to the expansion of Israeli settlements under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Additionally, it highlights a split within the American right over support for Israel, with younger Republicans displaying an increasingly unfavorable opinion of the US's closest Middle East ally. President Donald Trump, who has previously expressed opposition to settlement expansion, has put little pressure on Israel to change its policy. This has sometimes put him at odds with Huckabee, a Baptist minister who is a strong supporter of settlements and prefers referring to the West Bank as Judea and Samaria. Public support for Israel in the US has declined since the Gaza war began in 2023, particularly among Democrats, according to recent polls.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}