Britain to Impose Sanctions on Israeli Goods from West Bank Settlements

Britain is set to announce a significant policy shift regarding Israel, including a ban on trade in goods and some services connected to the West Bank. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is expected to present the measures as part of a broader reset of UK-Israel relations. The ban will reportedly extend beyond products manufactured in settlements to include services like financing and advertising related to them. Implementing the goods ban may require new legislation in the British Parliament. Previously, products from settlements did not receive customs benefits granted to Israeli goods, and Britain had advised businesses against economic activity in these areas. This new move is expected to transform these recommendations into a legal prohibition.

The decision is partly influenced by the E1 construction plan east of Jerusalem and an alleged increase in settler violence in the West Bank. In response, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the British ambassador to be expelled immediately, stating, "We will not be trampled by an antisemitic government in a country conquered by radical Islam, trying to save itself from economic and social collapse by attacking Jews and the State of Israel. The British Mandate in the Land of Israel ended."