Published September 8th, 2026 - 15:07 GMT
Highlights
He described the violence and displacement of Palestinians in parts of the West Bank as “ethnic cleansing” and said Britain now regards Israel’s occupation of the West Bank in its entirety as unlawful.
ALBAWABA- Israel announced the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem on Tuesday and imposed a series of diplomatic countermeasures after the United Kingdom announced sweeping restrictions on trade and services linked to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israel would also bar 12 elected British officials from entering the country, remove British representatives from a joint center monitoring the Gaza ceasefire and end British training for Palestinian security forces in the West Bank. He said the measures were a direct response to what Israel described as hostile British actions. The Israeli response followed the UK’s announcement of an import ban on goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, alongside restrictions on services supporting settlement activity, including construction, infrastructure, financing, real estate and advertising. London also announced personal sanctions against individuals accused of promoting settler violence and tighter restrictions on exports that materially contribute to the occupation. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the measures were necessary because settlement expansion and settler violence were undermining the possibility of a two-state solution. He described the violence and displacement of Palestinians in parts of the West Bank as “ethnic cleansing” and said Britain now regards Israel’s occupation of the West Bank in its entirety as unlawful. The UK said the settlement measures were being coordinated with France and Canada. Eleven other countries—including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden—also endorsed restrictions or further action against settlement activity. The UK said the economic impact would be limited because settlement exports represent only a small portion of overall Israeli trade. The measures nevertheless mark a significant deterioration in relations between Britain and Israel, which have already been strained by the Gaza war, settlement expansion and Britain's recognition of a Palestinian state last year.The Israeli response has also drawn criticism from within Israel. Former Prime Minister Yair Lapid accused the Netanyahu government of a “monumental diplomatic failure,” arguing that its confrontational approach was contributing to Israel's international isolation.Hard-line ministers have taken an even more confrontational position. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for Israel to recognize Argentina's sovereignty claim over the Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as the Malvinas, in retaliation against Britain. The move would directly challenge Britain's sovereignty over the islands and turn a dispute over Israeli settlements into a broader diplomatic confrontation with London. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has also been among the government's strongest critics of Britain and European pressure over Israeli settlements, portraying international sanctions as an attack on Israel's sovereignty and its right to develop Jewish settlements in the West Bank.Washington has also criticized the British measures. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee described the sanctions as discriminatory against Jews and questioned why Britain was targeting Israel while not imposing comparable measures on countries such as Russia, China and North Korea. He acknowledged that Britain was sovereign and could determine its own policy, but warned that Washington could respond to the move. The dispute comes as settlement expansion and settler violence have become increasingly contentious international issues. Britain and its allies say continued settlement construction, including plans around the strategically important E1 area east of Jerusalem, threatens to make a viable Palestinian state increasingly difficult. A joint statement by Britain, Canada, France and other governments said settlement expansion and actions amounting to annexation and forced displacement must stop.
