by Mathilda Heller
Miliband: UK believes Israel is carrying out ethnic cleansing in West Bank, 'we refuse to be bystanders' • Alongside UK, France, and Canada, 12 countries say they back restrictions on settlements
 |
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced on Tuesday an import ban on goods from "illegal" settlements in the West Bank, as well as sanctions against specific individuals and businesses providing services such as construction, instruction, financing or real estate for settlement expansion.
Miliband fronted his Commons speech by saying he is "Proud of [his] Jewishness and unwavering in [his] support for the state of Israel," and that there is "absolutely no contradiction between this and [his] support for the state of Palestine."
He said the new measures come in light of what the UK government believes is a clear attempt by Israel to bury the two-state solution.
"Our government has not done enough, so today marks the beginning of a new approach," he said. "What we seek today is to salvage the only cause for peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians: the two-state solution."
'Our argument is with the conduct of Israel's government'
— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 8, 2026
Ed Miliband has told MPs that Israeli settlers are committing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in parts of the West Bank.https://t.co/zjBlyUTiWU pic.twitter.com/0blxeTMjYQ
As such, for the first time, Miliband said the government's official position is that Israel's "occupation" of the West Bank is unlawful. This aligns with the 2024 ruling by the International Court of Justice.
Miliband's speech was significant for other reasons; it marks the first time anyone in the the British government has accused Israeli settlers of ethnic cleansing.
This new stance on the illegality of the settlements must therefore be manifested economically, he continued.
UK Foreign Secretary accuses some Israeli settlers of ethnic cleansing
"I do not believe that the British people want us supporting the occupation by accepting products from settlements in our shops and supermarkets," he said, adding "I can announce today that we will introduce an import ban on goods from illegal settlements in the occupied territories."
He noted there will be religious exemptions, but it is unclear what these will be; for example, a large amount of the kosher wine imported to the UK is made in settlement wineries. It is unclear if this would be exempt.
In addition to the goods ban, the UK will take action against specific companies and individuals that provide services such as construction, infrastructure, financing, or real estate for settlement expansion.
"So to those who finance or facilitate illegal settlements, let me say this, you will face the full force of UK sanctions," Miliband added.
Further sanctions include an extension of the existing global human rights regime such that it will enable swifter action to deter settlement expansion, including the development of E1, as well as the immediate cessation of all license applications for arms and other exports that "materially contribute to the occupation, in effect a double lock against arms sales."
The news was not totally unexpected: On August 19, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said he would introduce a comprehensive set of measures in “the coming weeks.”
The UK will stand up for what is right. pic.twitter.com/0jbDiQ7vVC
— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) September 8, 2026
Nevertheless, the timing has been criticized, coming just days before the Jewish High Holiday season begins - which has already been flagged as a dangerous period for Jews and a high risk for antisemitic terror attacks.
There is also significant speculation that the Labor Party wished to finalize the new legislation ahead of three major upcoming events: first, a UK by-election in which the anti-Israel Greens are its main rivals; second, the upcoming Labor Party Conference; and third, the Israeli elections in October.
West Bank settlements ban worst-case scenario for what some Jewish groups predicted
Furthermore, the new announcements are the worst-case scenario at the end of what some Jewish groups were expecting, which was purely a goods ban and not a services ban.
Jewish groups, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council, have expressed concern that the sanctions could further damage the UK-Israel relationship and have a harmful impact on British Jews.
Jewish groups, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council, have expressed concern that the sanctions could further damage the UK-Israel relationship and have a harmful impact on British Jews.
UK Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said the UK government’s intended sanctions would be “counterproductive and even endanger such a vision of peace.”
Many members of the Jewish community view the measures with deep dismay, he said, adding that they risk spiraling into a de facto boycott of Israel and threatening the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Palestinian workers.
“These measures will also disproportionately affect British Jews because of our close religious, family, charitable, and educational ties to Israel,” Mirvis said.
UK Shadow Foreign Secretary says ban will damage relations with Israel and embolden extremists
Shadow Foreign Secretary Tom Tugendhat on Sunday said damaging diplomatic relations with Israel could harm British citizens.
Terrorist attacks on British soil had been foiled by the UK’s security services as a direct result of Israeli intelligence sources sharing information with their British counterparts, he told The Telegraph.
On Tuesday, Tungendhat said, “The Israeli election is in just seven weeks, and many have argued correctly that this action will help the extremist candidates’ campaigns, and not help those who are making the moderate arguments for a united Israeli.”
Former independent reviewer of Prevent Sir William Shawcross said “This reckless anti-Israel stunt will embolden our extremist enemies and drive further anti-Jewish racism.”
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told the BBC he doesn't know if the UK is "really aware of the implications and how it's going to affect Brits."
He noted the fact that many pharmaceuticals used in the UK are made in Israel. While he placed the figure at 25%, NHS data places it at around 1 in 7.
"This is an irrational action, I don't understand what it is supposed to achieve," Huckabee continued. "If the UK is really interested in dealing with issues they feel like are wrong, where are the sanctions against North Korea, China, Russia?"
"It's discrimination against the Israeli government, discrimination against the Jewish people, and I don't understand the rationale of it."
While British PM Andy Burnham has not spoken to his Israeli counterpart since entering the role 50 days ago, Burnham did speak to US President Trump on Monday to inform him of the impending pan.
It is understood that the US government is preparing to release a condemnation of the sanctions later on Tuesday.
It could also contain implied or actual threats of retaliation against the UK over the decision.
Jerusalem Post staff contributed to this report
Mathilda Heller
Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-907968
No comments:
Post a Comment