Nations Impose Sanctions on Israeli Settlements; US Considers Talks

Britain, France, Canada, and 11 other European nations have imposed trade sanctions on goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described the sanctions as a necessary response to settler terrorism and ethnic cleansing, arguing they are to prevent the destruction of the two-state solution. Israel reacted with outrage, ordering the closure of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem and expelling British diplomats. US President Donald Trump stated he would hold talks with Israel and other parties regarding the sanctions, though his administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, adopted a muted response, with the White House distancing itself from comments by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who called the sanctions discriminatory and irrational.

The sanctions build on existing UK advice against economic activity in settlements, with products from settlements since 2005 ineligible for preferential tariffs. Establishing the origin of products like dates and olives is challenging due to the political nature of West Bank boundaries. Meanwhile, Israel is considering plans to build 1,670 new housing units in West Bank settlements.

The proliferation of Israeli military checkpoints across the West Bank has also severely impacted Palestinian businesses, with one dairy farm reporting a 30 to 40 percent sales decline and layoffs. Senior UK rabbis are divided, with some backing the sanctions and others expressing concern for British Jews, while prominent Israelis have welcomed the measures as an inevitable consequence of Israeli government and security failures.