The UK government announced on Tuesday, September 8, a ban on the import of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, citing "an ethnic cleansing of Palestinians" by "terrorist settlers". The British Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, stated in parliament that the executive acknowledges that ethnic cleansing is occurring in areas of the West Bank and that, far too often, the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this situation.
Miliband declared that the official position of the British government is that the occupation is illegal due to the reinforcement of its control, the intention to extend permanent sovereignty, and its expansionist agenda through illegal settlements. Faced with this scenario, he announced a ban on the import of goods from illegal settlements and the taking of measures against specific companies and individuals that provide services such as construction, infrastructure, financing, or real estate for settlement expansion.
The most exported products from the settlements include dates, mangoes, avocados, grapes, wine, olive oil, and consumer goods. The sanctions regime will target illegal settlements and not Israel, Miliband stressed, acknowledging his roots as "a proud British Jew," whose grandfather and other family members were killed by the Nazis. The legislation will come into force within six to nine months, but immediate sanctions will be taken against a new group of extremist settlers who supported or incited acts of violence against Palestinian communities.
Miliband revealed that France and Canada will also ban the import of goods from illegal settlements, joining the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, and Norway. Portugal, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Poland, and Sweden have committed to supporting new measures, as part of a broad international coalition.
