Israel hit by 12-nation settlement pushback

Britain, France and Canada seek curbs on settlement-linked trade

PARIS:

Britain, France, Canada and nine other countries on Tuesday announced plans to restrict trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, citing escalating settler violence and settlement expansion that they said were undermining prospects for a two-state solution.

Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden joined Britain, France and Canada in declaring their intention to introduce national measures or support European restrictions on trade in goods from Israeli settlements.

"The situation is rapidly deteriorating amid unprecedented levels of settler violence and settlement expansion," the foreign ministers of the 12 countries said in a joint statement. They said Israel's actions in the West Bank were undermining the possibility of a two-state solution.

They called on the Israeli government to immediately halt settlement expansion and the extension of civilian administrative powers and demanded accountability for settler violence and investigations into allegations against Israeli forces, while stressing that settlements were illegal under international law.

The announcement followed Israel's decision last month to open tenders for about 1,200 housing units in the West Bank's E1 area, a move the 12 countries described as "unacceptable" and one that would further isolate East Jerusalem from the rest of the territory.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told parliament that the UK would impose an import ban on goods from illegal settlements in the occupied territories, accusing "settler terrorists" of carrying out ethnic cleansing against Palestinians and alleging that the Israeli government had often turned a blind eye.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the West Bank was "on the brink of explosion", citing unchecked settlement expansion, a surge in violence by extremist settlers and attacks that he said had been condemned by Israeli authorities themselves.

The measures immediately triggered a diplomatic response from Israel. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar ordered the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem and announced a ban on the entry of 12 British nationals, including former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and several British lawmakers.

They included Zarah Sultana, Fahad Ansari, Naz Shah, Diane Abbott, Hannah Spencer, Carla Denyer, Sian Berry, Ellie Chowns, John McDonnell, Richard Burgon and Adrian Ramsay. Saar described Miliband's accusations in parliament as "outrageous lies" and said the Israeli government had been left with no choice but to respond to what he called hostile British actions.

Israel also ordered the removal of British representatives from the International Gaza Support Centre in Kiryat Gat and said British activities to train Palestinian Authority forces in the West Bank under the British Support Team in Ramallah would be terminated.

The Israeli foreign minister accused Britain's Labour government of pursuing a hostile policy towards Israel since coming to power in 2024, warning governments against attempting to pressure Israel into acting against its national and security interests.

The Green Party condemned the entry ban imposed on its lawmakers, saying it would not be "bullied into silence" and urging the British government to go further with restrictions, including an arms embargo and wider sanctions.

The West Bank has been occupied by Israel since 1967, while violence there has increased since the Gaza war began following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The United Nations estimated that about 737,000 Israeli settlers lived in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as of October 2024.