US Draft Condemning UK Settlement Boycott Was Shelved

A draft statement from the U.S. State Department, attributed to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, which condemned Britain, France, and Canada for halting imports of products from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, was ultimately shelved. The draft, dated September 8, reportedly originated from David Millstein, an advisor to U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. It characterized the European nations' actions as "hostile moves against Israel that fuel antisemitism" and accused them of employing "unacceptable tactics from the playbook of the antisemitic BDS movement."

According to sources familiar with the matter, the statement was blocked because it lacked support from the White House and senior State Department officials. When questioned by reporters on September 8, Pompeo avoided direct criticism of the decision or any specific country, stating only that "what Britain did is obviously not what we did" and that he had "no comment." President Trump has previously expressed opposition to settlement expansion, though his administration has exerted minimal pressure on Israel to change its policy, sometimes putting him at odds with Ambassador Friedman, a strong proponent of settlements.

An American official told Reuters that the draft statement was not prepared in consultation with the State Department or the White House. The U.S. Embassy in Israel directed inquiries about Friedman and Millstein to the State Department, which did not respond. Earlier in the month, Pompeo confirmed that the White House was aware of Britain's decision to impose sanctions on settlements, noting it could impact peace efforts.

In response to the sanctions, Israel reportedly ordered the British Consulate in East Jerusalem to close and threatened to revoke the accreditation of its diplomats. British representatives at a U.S. coordination center and diplomats in Ramallah were also reportedly given one week to leave. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband called Israel's reaction "very regrettable" and defended the international community's actions.

Bloomberg reported that British diplomats privately described the sanctions as largely "symbolic" with little impact expected on trade or security relations, and that trade restrictions could be circumvented by relabeling goods. Miliband assured that security and intelligence cooperation with Israel would continue. London was reportedly working behind the scenes to appease the Trump administration, fearing damage to U.S. relations. Miliband also reiterated the need for the 20-point plan, disarming Hamas, and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza to restart peace talks, while also mentioning potential sanctions if Hamas or Islamic Jihad are involved in future governance and the need for reforms within the Palestinian Authority.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham wrote in an opinion piece that years of calling for a two-state solution were meaningless without action, and that Britain had hesitated to act for too long for fear of being labeled anti-Israel. Burnham clarified that the sanctions target the Israeli government's policies, not the Israeli public.