UK, France and 10 other countries to curb trade with Israeli West Bank settlements

Twelve countries, including the United Kingdom and France, announced coordinated trade restrictions on goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, citing a rapid deterioration in the situation and a rise in settler attacks on Palestinians.

The group named the other participants as Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers said: "The actions of the Israeli government in the West Bank undermine the possibility of a two-state solution," and warned of "unprecedented levels of settler violence and settlement expansion." They added: "We are united in our determination to defend the two-state solution and will take measures for a just and lasting peace."

Response to recent tenders for E1

The announcement follows Israeli tenders published last month for roughly 1,200 housing units in the E1 area, a plan that critics say would further isolate East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank. The ministers described the tendering as "unacceptable."

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian leader Mark Carney agreed there was a need to act to prevent "further deterioration of the situation."

UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband accused what he called "settler-terrorists" of "ethnic cleansing" in parts of the West Bank and said the Israeli government had often "turned a blind eye" to such acts. Miliband also announced that the United Kingdom would ban imports from illegal settlements in the occupied territories, saying he did not believe the British public wanted to "support occupation by accepting settlement products in our shops and supermarkets."

France's foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot said on X that the West Bank was "on the brink of explosion," citing uncontrolled settlement expansion, increasing violence by extremist settlers against Palestinians and "terrorist acts" condemned even by Israeli authorities.

Israel reacted strongly. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar ordered the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem in response to London’s measures and denounced Miliband's remarks as "The accusations that the foreign secretary made today in the British parliament are scandalous lies."

Tel Aviv also announced a ban on entry to Israel for 12 British representatives, including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and MP Zara Sultana; the government said 11 British MPs are on the list. In addition, Israel said it would expel British diplomats from the US-backed ceasefire monitoring centre in Gaza and suspend British training of Palestinian Authority forces.

The ministers who announced the trade restrictions said the move aims to uphold international law, which regards the settlements as illegal, and to preserve space for a negotiated two-state outcome. The measures are likely to increase diplomatic tensions with Israel as governments weigh economic steps against efforts to reduce violence and protect Palestinian rights.

Photo: press material from the event