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LONDON: More than a third of lawmakers from Britain’s governing Labour Party signed a letter on Monday calling on the British government to end trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has had to balance Britain’s historic position as a close ally of Israel and the US with pressure from within his centre-left party to take a firmer line over Israeli actions towards Palestinians.
“There is an urgent need for accountability and concrete consequences in response to Israel’s violations against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are spiralling by the day,” said the letter. “We believe ending trade with settlements is a vital next step.” It was signed by 137 Labour lawmakers, more than a third of the party’s 402 members of the 650-seat House of Commons.
Israel’s government is rapidly expanding West Bank settlements, with some ministers pushing annexation. Settler violence against Palestinians has surged since October 2023, and countries like Spain now ban settlement goods, with others considering similar measures.
