UK Bans Imports of Israeli Settlement Goods From Occupied West Bank

London (Terror Monitor) — The United Kingdom has announced a ban on products from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, saying the move is aimed at curbing settlement expansion and protecting the prospects of a two-state solution.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the UK would ban the import of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The restrictions will also apply to certain services linked to the settlements, including financial support, construction, infrastructure projects, property-related business and the promotion of settlements.

Addressing lawmakers in the House of Commons, Miliband said the government was taking a tougher position on Israel’s occupation in an effort to keep the possibility of a two-state solution alive.

The announcement came in response to Israeli settlement expansion plans in the West Bank, which Britain says threaten efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state.

The construction and expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank have accelerated under the conservative government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, prompting increasing criticism from Britain and other Israeli allies.

The overwhelming majority of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank illegal under international law and views their expansion as an obstacle to achieving lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

UK Says Measures Target Settlements, Not Israeli Goods Generally

Before the announcement, British Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the measure was not intended to boycott all Israeli products, but was specifically aimed at settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.

Speaking to Times Radio, McFadden said Britain and other countries did not want to see the possibility of a two-state solution disappear as a result of changes being made on the ground.

Britain, a longtime ally of Israel, recognized a Palestinian state last year as part of efforts to revive the prospects for a two-state solution.

The Labour government had previously imposed sanctions on individual Israeli settlers over allegations of violence against Palestinians and illegal construction.

Tuesday’s announcement expands the restrictions to trade in goods with all Israeli settlements in the West Bank and potentially to certain services connected to them.

Israel Condemns the Decision

Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned the British decision, calling the ban a serious mistake that would put Britain on “the wrong side of history.”

Herzog said that, under the current circumstances, the measure amounted to serious interference in the democratic elections of a sovereign country.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also warned that Israel would take action against Britain if London proceeded with measures against Israel.

The dispute marks a further deterioration in relations between Britain and Israel over settlement policy and the future of the occupied West Bank, as international pressure grows over Israeli settlement expansion and the prospects for a negotiated two-state solution.