Britain said on Tuesday it would ban goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, responding to a settlement expansion program the government says threatens efforts to establish a Palestinian state.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband was due to set out details in the House of Commons, days after saying he would “reset” Britain’s relations with Israel. The measure targets settlement goods rather than Israeli trade as a whole.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said the ban “isn’t intended to be a boycott of all Israeli goods.” He described the measures as “specifically targeted at the expansion of these settlements, which are illegal under international law, in the West Bank.”
McFadden told Times Radio the central aim was preventing the two-state solution from being “erased by changes to the facts on the ground.” He said Britain was acting alongside other countries pursuing similar positions.
Israel seized the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war. The territory would form the main part of a future Palestinian state. Israel’s current government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has overseen a rise in settlement construction and opposes Palestinian statehood, viewing the area as the historical homeland of the Jewish people.
The move drew immediate objections. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Britain would be “on the wrong side of history” if it proceeded, calling the plan “a grave miscalculation.” Criticism also came from the United States and from some British members of parliament.
Britain, a longtime ally of Israel, recognised Palestinian statehood last year in an effort to revive stalled negotiations toward a two-state solution. The trade ban continues a hardening of London’s position toward the Netanyahu government. Beijing’s foreign ministry has separately pressed for a Middle East ceasefire citing Palestinian rights.
The government has said other nations may join the measures, though it has not named them. Settlements built on occupied land are considered illegal under international law, a position affirmed by the International Court of Justice.
Miliband’s Commons statement was scheduled for later on Tuesday, when the full scope of the restrictions and any exemptions is expected to be confirmed.