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Photo by JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP via Getty ImagesThe United Kingdom, France, Canada and other countries announced coordinated measures against Israeli settlements in the West Bank, as western nations sought to raise pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government even at the risk of provoking criticism from President Donald Trump.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorBritain will ban the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories through a new sanctions regime, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told the House of Commons on Tuesday. That will also include measures against individuals and companies that provide services such as financing and construction, he said.“The British government agrees there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the West Bank,” Miliband said. “We will not acquiesce to the destruction of the two-state solution,” he added. The Israeli government denies accusations of ethnic cleansing.SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE: FP West: Energy Insider brings you behind the oilpatch’s closed doors with exclusive insights from insiders every Wednesday morning.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of FP West: Energy Insider will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againMiliband’s counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar, announced the closure of the British consulate in east Jerusalem and the removal of British staff from a base for foreign delegations tasked with Gaza peacemaking efforts. Sa’ar called Miliband’s remarks “scandalous and mendacious” and said that Britain had left Israel with “no alternative but to respond to its hostile measures.”Israel will respond similarly to other countries that act against it, Sa’ar said, asserting that a majority of his compatriots back the government’s West Bank policy and oppose Palestinian statehood.United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration has been made aware of the U.K.’s plans in advance and it would “obviously” not be joining sanctions, adding that Trump had not commented on the matter.“We share the goal of stability,” Rubio told reporters on Tuesday. “We don’t want to see some uptick in violence or an uptick in conflict or tensions in the West Bank at a very tenuous time in the region.”Ahead of the U.K.’s announcement, U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee had hinted at retaliation if plans went ahead. Some U.S. politicians, including Florida Rep. Randy Fine, said the U.K. risked running afoul of state laws against boycott, divestment and sanctions, or BDS, that would ban companies from doing business in the state.French foreign affairs minister Jean-Noel Barrot said in a post on X that France would join the measures announced by Britain, while Miliband said Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Portugal and Sweden would also join the action.Miliband is seeking to differentiate Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s new administration from that of Keir Starmer, saying the preceding Labour premier’s government had not done “enough” to call out Israel over its war in Gaza. Lawmakers in the left-leaning governing party have long called for a tougher stance against the Israeli the government.Even so, Miliband sought to take a balanced approach, repeatedly referring to his own Jewish heritage — he is descended from holocaust survivors — and backing Israel’s right to exist and defend itself. He also condemned Hamas and Iranian threats to the country and to Jews around the world. He said Britain’s intelligence and security relationship with Israel would not change.“Our argument is not with the people of Israel: our argument is with the conduct of its government,” he said. “We refuse to be bystanders to further suffering.” Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.