September 10, 2026 | 02:19 pm
The separation wall between the West Bank and East Jerusalem in Israel. Shutterstock
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia and seven other countries have backed the United Kingdom’s decision to ban imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and restrict services linked to the settlements.The foreign ministers of Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates said they hoped the UK measures would encourage other countries to take similar action.The countries said such measures were important to uphold international law and hold entities and individuals involved in settlement activities accountable.They also said the boycott was “consistent with international legal principles and United Nations resolutions.”These include UN Security Council Resolution 2334, adopted in 2016, which opposes Israeli settlement expansion, as well as the International Court of Justice’s July 19, 2024, advisory opinion on Israel’s policies in the occupied Palestinian territories.UK Announces New Measures Against SettlementsAccording to Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced the measures before the House of Commons on Tuesday, September 8.The measures include a ban on imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and sanctions against companies and individuals involved in settlement expansion.Miliband also announced additional sanctions against extremist Israeli settlers accused of supporting or inciting violence against Palestinians.The UK will also refuse export licenses for commodities that support the continued operation of Israel’s occupation, while maintaining the suspension of 30 existing licenses.Miliband said the UK government agreed that there had been “ethnic cleansing of Palestinians” in the occupied West Bank by “Israeli settler terrorists.”
