UK to Impose Sanctions on West Bank Settlements, Israel Shuts Consulate in East Jerusalem
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Britain announced a new sanctions regime targeting Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank, prompting Israel to close the British consulate in East Jerusalem and suspend joint projects.
Britain's foreign secretary said the government will introduce a comprehensive sanctions regime against Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank over the next six to nine months, describing the settlements as part of an unlawful occupation that threatens the two-state solution. The move, coordinated with France and Canada, follows Israel's tender for 1,200 homes in the contested E1 area east of Jerusalem.
"The British government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank, perpetrated by settler terrorists," the foreign secretary told MPs, citing the UN definition of ethnic cleansing.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham emphasized that the measures target settlement policies, not the Israeli population, and are intended to support a two-state outcome. In response, Israel's foreign minister announced the closure of the UK consulate in East Jerusalem and the termination of British training programs for Palestinian Authority forces, describing the UK government's actions as hostile.
The announcement drew criticism from senior British Jewish leaders, who called the sanctions politically motivated and warned they could fuel anti-Jewish sentiment. Israel's president labeled the decision a "gross interference" in sovereign affairs, while the United States declined to comment on the joint sanctions initiative.