UK Sanctions on Israeli Settlements Won't Harm Security Ties, Says Foreign Minister

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband stated on BBC Radio that new sanctions targeting Israeli settlements will not negatively impact intelligence and defense cooperation between the UK and Israel. Miliband emphasized that crucial security ties between the two nations will continue.

He defended the decision to impose sanctions, explaining that the UK cannot remain inactive while settlement expansion undermines the two-state solution and divides the region. Miliband described the situation as unprecedented, noting that British foreign ministers have not previously used such strong language as "ethnic cleansing" and "settler terrorists" to describe the actions of settlers.

Responding to criticism from the chief rabbi, who called the day of the sanctions a dark one for British Jews, Miliband rejected the accusations. He also commented on Israel's retaliatory measures, including the closure of diplomatic missions, calling the decision regrettable and harmful. Miliband recalled a similar negative reaction from the Netherlands after it imposed its own sanctions.

BBC's chief international correspondent Liz Douce highlighted the unusual severity of the language used by Miliband.