UK to consider sanctions on Israeli West Bank settlements, Israel warns of retaliation
Britain plans to tighten restrictions on goods linked to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, prompting Israel's foreign minister to say the country would respond if sanctions are imposed.
Britain is preparing a policy shift that could restrict trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the government will present a "comprehensive set of measures" in the coming weeks. The move follows suggestions that goods produced in the settlements may face sanctions.
Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, warned that Israel would take reciprocal action if the United Kingdom implements such sanctions, stating, "If Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain."
Prime Minister Andy Burnham expressed concern that Israeli decisions on the controversial E1 settlement project could jeopardise the two-state solution, telling the House of Commons that fast-track tendering ahead of Israel's election might "imperil or end" the prospect of a Palestinian state.
The UK has condemned the E1 plans as illegal under international law, noting they would further separate the West Bank from East Jerusalem. Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty said Britain is considering measures that could include a ban on trade with settlements and additional sanctions related to violence in Gaza.
Miliband described the proposed restrictions as a response to what he called a "red line" that threatens the viability of a future Palestinian state, and said the government will not accept actions that undermine the two-state framework.