In a crowded session at the British Parliament on Tuesday, Members of Parliament convened to hear the government’s announcement regarding its relations with Israel.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who assumed office seven weeks ago, was present with his cabinet members, attentively listening as the newly appointed Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who is Jewish, declared a prohibition on trade with settlers in the occupied West Bank. Miliband disclosed that Canada and France would also implement similar measures.
Amidst cheers resonating in the parliamentary chamber, Miliband highlighted that France and Canada, in addition to Britain, were taking steps to ban the import of goods from illegal settlements. He acknowledged several other countries, including the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Spain, and Norway, which have either imposed bans or are in the process of doing so, with commitments from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden to support further actions.
Emphasizing the UK’s stance, Miliband announced that specific companies and individuals involved in services such as construction, infrastructure, financing, or real estate for settlement expansion would face sanctions. He sternly warned that they would encounter the full force of UK sanctions.
The decision by the UK to take action was prompted by Israel’s recent move to open tenders for the construction of 1,200 settler homes in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank, crossing what Miliband referred to as a “long-term red line.”
Nearly a year ago, Canada, the UK, and France had collectively declared their recognition of the state of Palestine. The rise in reported violence in the occupied West Bank was cited as another key factor influencing the UK’s decision to impose sanctions, as expressed by Miliband.
Addressing the parliamentarians, Miliband asserted that the British government concurred with the existence of ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in certain West Bank areas carried out by settler terrorists.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar denounced Miliband’s statements as “outrageous lies” and announced retaliatory measures, including expelling UK representatives from a joint military centre monitoring the Gaza ceasefire, halting UK training of the Palestinian Authority’s security forces in the West Bank, closing Britain’s consulate in East Jerusalem, and restricting the entry of certain UK officials and citizens associated with alleged antisemitic and anti-Israel activities.
The shift in the UK’s approach towards Israel had been foreshadowed months earlier. Prior to assuming office in July, Burnham had hinted at a recalibration of the UK’s stance. He expressed regret over the initial response of the Labour Party to Israel’s military actions in Gaza, acknowledging the need for improvement under his leadership.