The United Kingdom, France and Canada announced on Tuesday that they are leading an initiative of 12 countries to restrict trade in products from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The British Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband, accused the Israeli government of turning a "blind eye" to the "ethnic cleansing" carried out by settlers in the Palestinian territory.
In a statement, the group said action is necessary given the expansion of settlements and the actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government that, according to the signatory countries, are "undermining the possibility of a two-state solution."
The measure will be implemented through national actions and a European initiative. In addition to the three countries leading the initiative, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden are also part of the group.
