UK, France and Canada say they will introduce national measures against settlement goods as concerns grow over West Bank expansion and settler violence.
WEB DESK: The United Kingdom, France, Canada and nine other countries have announced plans to introduce or support trade restrictions on goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, citing growing settler violence and settlement expansion.
The 12 countries are Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the countries said the situation in the West Bank was rapidly deteriorating, with settler violence and settlement expansion reaching unprecedented levels.
UK, France and Canada to introduce trade bans
The joint statement said all 12 countries intend to introduce national restrictions, support European measures or are actively considering further action against trade in goods from settlements considered illegal under international law.
The UK, France and Canada specifically said they would bring forward national measures to ban trade in settlement goods.
Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium have already taken action in this area, according to the statement.
The three countries also said they would impose targeted measures against settlements and individuals or entities involved in facilitating or profiting from settlement activity.
E1 settlement project criticised
The countries singled out Israel’s E1 settlement project, describing the decision to advance the project as unacceptable.
They said settlement expansion in the West Bank threatens the prospects of a two-state solution and called on Israel to immediately halt settlement expansion and ensure accountability for settler violence.
The countries also called for investigations into allegations involving Israeli forces.
The E1 project has been a particular point of concern for the UK and other governments because of its potential impact on territorial contiguity between parts of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Miliband announces tougher UK measures
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told the House of Commons that Israeli settlements are illegal and announced a series of measures targeting settlement activity rather than Israel as a whole.
He said Britain would ban the advertising of illegal settlements in the UK and introduce legislation targeting trade and activities connected to settlement expansion. The new legislation is expected to be in place within six to nine months, according to his statement.
Miliband also announced sanctions against additional extremist settlers accused of supporting or inciting violence against Palestinian communities.
He said the UK would extend its existing human-rights sanctions framework to enable faster action against settlement expansion, including the E1 project.
UK tightens arms export policy
Miliband said Britain had already suspended more than 30 arms licences used by the Israeli military in Gaza.
He announced that the UK would refuse new licences for arms and other exports that materially contribute to the occupation, with the restrictions remaining in place for as long as the occupation continues.
The British foreign secretary also stressed that the measures were directed at settlement activity and settlement expansion, rather than a general boycott of Israel, while reiterating London’s support for a two-state solution.
Miliband cites Gaza death toll
Addressing the situation in Gaza, Miliband said more than 70,000 people had been killed, including at least 20,000 children.
He said the scale of destruction and displacement raised serious concerns under international humanitarian law and cited increasing evidence that war crimes may have been committed.
However, on the specific question of genocide, Miliband said the UK supports judicial processes and that final legal determinations should be made by competent courts.
This distinction is important: Miliband did not state that a court had established genocide in Gaza.
Countries oppose forced displacement
The 12 countries also said they firmly oppose actions amounting to the annexation of Palestinian territory and the forced displacement of Palestinians.
They reaffirmed their commitment to a two-state solution under which Israel and a sovereign Palestinian state can coexist in peace and security.
The coordinated measures represent a significant diplomatic response to Israel’s settlement policies in the West Bank, although the countries’ approaches and implementation timelines vary.
