UK, France, Canada announce ban on trade with Israeli settlements in West Bank

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband on Tuesday announced import ban on goods from illegal settlements in the the West Bank, as well as sanctions against specific individuals and businesses that provide services such as construction, instruction, financing or real estate for settlement expansion.

The announcement was carried out in coordination with France and Canada.

On August 19, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said he would introduce a comprehensive set of measures in “the coming weeks.” Nevertheless, the timing has been criticized, coming just days before the Jewish High Holy Days begin - which has already been flagged as a dangerous period for Jews and a high risk for antisemitic terror attacks.

Miliband said Britain could no longer simply "call out" injustice and suffering, but told the House of Commons that the country now had to "act" to oppose the expansion of settlements. Miliband, who became Britain's foreign minister in July, also said Britain's position is that the "occupation" in the West Bank is unlawful, and that London believes that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank.

"Today we refuse to be bystanders to further suffering and to the destruction of the two-state solution," Miliband said, referring to Britain's long-held support for the two-state idea, which Israel opposes.

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.

France will also launch a process to ban products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on Tuesday, amid rising settler violence that has further undermined prospects for a two-state solution with the Palestinians.

"France is going to put an end to its commerce with Israeli settlements in Palestine, along with 11 other countries which have also undertaken similar engagements," Barrot wrote on X.

"Why are we doing this? Because the West Bank is close to exploding - there is frenzied expansion of the settlements, a flare up of violence against Palestinians by extremist settlers, and acts of terror which have been attacked by Israeli authorities themselves," added Barrot.

The move comes as frustration has grown among some European Union states, which have sought for the bloc to take a decision, but failed to gain a qualified majority with the notable opposition from Germany.

"Given the situation on the ground we can't wait, so we are taking this national decision," a French diplomatic source told reporters in a briefing ahead of the announcement.

The modalities of the ban have yet to be finalized and it was not immediately clear when it would be implemented.

"This announcement is part of the joint initiative between the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, which was discussed in particular during their meeting in London and to which several of our partners in the European Union and beyond have signed up," the source said, adding as many as a dozen countries would follow suit.

The source said it was not a boycott of Israel.

The foreign ministers of 12 countries also said on Tuesday they would back or consider restrictions on trade in goods with Israeli settlements in the West Bank that are illegal under international law.

"The Government of Israel's actions in the West Bank are undermining the possibility of a two-State solution," the statement said.

"Today, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK confirm their intention to introduce national and/or support European restrictions on trade in goods with settlements which are illegal under international law, or that they are actively considering these and other measures, in accordance with their national procedures," it added.

While British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has not spoken to his Israeli counterpart since entering the role 50 days ago, Burnham did speak to US President Donald 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.

Itamar Ben-Gvir appealed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to close the British Consulate in east Jerusalem today, which operates openly on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.

"This must be Israel's resolute response to British audacity," he said.

Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Arieh King similarly called for Israel to enforce the closure of Britain's diplomatic presence at 80 Nablus Road and 15 Rajeib Nashashibi Street, Jerusalem.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the expulsion of the British ambassador.

President Isaac Herzog said the move is a "grave miscalculation, a decision that will fall on the wrong side of history, and a gross interference in the democratic elections of a sovereign nation.”

"It will serve no one," he added, saying instead that it will directly harm Palestinians, robbing them of business and employment. "Sanctions are not a solution. Dialogue is."

Israel is understood to be preparing a formal response.