"Sanctions regime": The steps the UK is promoting against trading with settlements | Report
According to Bloomberg, the move is being considered due to Israel's decision to advance the construction of housing units in the West Bank - and in light of the fact that the Kingdom's Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, is seeking to demonstrate a tougher approach toward an issue important to the voters of his left-wing Labour Party. On the agenda: preventing the exchange of goods and services with settlements.
New sanctions being prepared by the UK will ban trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank - this was reported today (Friday) by Bloomberg. According to the claims, the move is being considered while the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Andy Burnham, is seeking to demonstrate a tougher approach toward an issue important to the voters of his left-leaning Labour Party.
The UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, and Norway published a joint statement yesterday in which they condemned the Israeli government's decision to publish a tender for the construction of 1,234 housing units in the E1 complex, located between Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim. The countries called on Israel to immediately reverse the move and stop the expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
According to the report by Bloomberg, Foreign Secretary David Lammy is examining several options in the coming weeks to increase pressure on Israel, following its decision to advance the construction of housing units in a strategic area in the West Bank. Among the options: a new sanctions regime that will include measures to prevent the exchange of goods and services with Israeli settlements - this is according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity about plans that have not yet been published.
It was further noted that Lammy is also considering expanding existing human rights sanctions to include blocking aid, which, according to claims, has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In addition, the Foreign Secretary may express explicit support for the non-binding advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice from 2024, according to which the Israeli occupation of the territory that the UK recognizes today as the State of Palestine is illegal.
Nighttime liquidations in Gaza - and the destruction of the "two-state solution"
The steps are being discussed following Israel's decision to open a tender for the construction of 1,200 housing units in settlements in the area known as E1 in the West Bank. Clashes between Israeli settlers and Palestinians have increased in recent months, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a tough battle for his continued tenure in the general elections scheduled for October 27.
Burnham joined the leaders of Canada and five European governments, including France, Germany, and Italy, in a statement published on Thursday, in which they condemned the construction plan as "unacceptable," and also called on Netanyahu to withdraw the tender. This week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz separately condemned the call by Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir for nighttime liquidations in Gaza.
Without specifying, Lammy pledged on Wednesday to impose targeted sanctions against Israelis involved in the "illegal expansion of settlements" in the West Bank, in order to prevent the "destruction of the two-state solution."
Although the Foreign Secretary has not yet made final decisions, he is preparing for an announcement next month, ahead of the UN General Assembly, where he is expected to deliver a speech that will partially outline the UK's policy toward Israel. Lammy, a descendant of Holocaust survivors, is expected to address the issue also at the upcoming annual conference of the Labour Party in Liverpool.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar rejected Lammy's words and called them "condescending," adding that the Jewish people have the right to live wherever they choose. "The British government's decision to harm the relations between our countries is very regrettable," said Sa'ar, emphasizing the already tense relations between the two countries.
"The Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal"
"The Israeli government's decision to publish construction tenders for the E1 settlement project is unacceptable," was written in the joint condemnation statement of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, and Norway. The seven countries noted that the international community has for years opposed construction in the area and has expressed its grave concern to Israel - both publicly and in closed talks.
According to them, the implementation of the plan will harm the possibility of reaching a two-state solution, because it will create a barrier in the center of the West Bank and will harm the territorial continuity of the Palestinian territory. "International law is clear - the Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal," it was stated in the message, while emphasizing that this is also the position of the international community as confirmed in the UN Security Council.
The countries added that the decision is particularly worrying in light of what they defined as "severe instability in the West Bank," unprecedented levels of settler violence against civilians, and significant restrictions on the Palestinian economy. "The plans not only distance us from peace, but also add to the damage to Israel's international standing," they warned.
The message also included a direct warning to construction companies and business entities not to participate in the tender. The countries clarified that companies must take into account legal and reputational consequences, including the risk that they will be involved in serious violations of international law. In conclusion, the countries reiterated their commitment to a "comprehensive, just, and sustainable peace based on the two-state solution," and declared that they will continue to work to promote it.
