UK Announces Sanctions on West Bank Settlements Prompting Furious Israeli Response
BBC News reports that the UK has implemented sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, accusing Israel of turning a blind eye to the "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians by settlers.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described this move as a "beginning of a new approach" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, emphasizing both its moral and action-oriented aspects.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar strongly criticized the UK, calling Miliband’s claims an "outrageous lie" and announcing countermeasures including the shutting of the UK’s consulate in East Jerusalem.
The UK sanctions ban settlement goods and target companies and individuals involved in settlement expansion. They were launched jointly with France and Canada, who expressed that this action represents a "further turning point" in their efforts to protect the two-state solution.
According to Miliband, settlements are illegal under international law and recent violence against Palestinians by settlers has increased. He cited UN definitions of ethnic cleansing and stressed the UK’s position that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank is unlawful.
The sanctions will be implemented over a period of six to nine months, including a ban on advertising illegal settlements in the UK. Miliband emphasized that the target is illegal settlements and settlement expansion, not Israel itself.
Saar responded by banning 11 UK MPs, including Jeremy Corbyn and Diane Abbott, from entering Israel, accusing them of "antisemitic and anti-Israel activity".
