UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has pledged a “comprehensive reset” of Britain’s relationship with Israel, promising a tougher approach to Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank and reaffirming support for Palestinian rights and a two-state solution.
Miliband has said Britain will ban trade in goods and some services from illegal Israeli settlements, arguing that the expansion of settlements is undermining the possibility of a Palestinian state. The move follows growing settler violence and Israel’s plans for further settlement expansion, including the controversial E1 project east of Jerusalem.
The announcement marks a significant shift in UK policy and has already provoked a strong reaction from Israel. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Britain of interfering in Israel’s affairs and announced that Israel would close its consulate in East Jerusalem, while also imposing restrictions on some British officials.
The announcement comes as the UK takes an increasingly forceful position on settlement activity, accusing settler groups of conducting a campaign of “ethnic cleansing” in the West Bank.
The move comes as joint effort by Britain, France and Canada to block trade in goods from Israeli settlements; the measures are largely symbolic economically, given the relatively small volume of settlement exports, but they represent a notable escalation in diplomatic pressure on Israel and a clear departure from the UK’s previous approach of primarily condemning settlement expansion without directly restricting trade.
