UK Set to Ban Goods from Israeli Settlements, Gaining Broad Support

London, United Kingdom – UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham is expected to approve a ban on goods linked to Israeli settlements, following the Israeli government’s tender for over 1,200 new homes in the E1 settlement area of the occupied West Bank.

Speaking to Al Jazeera on Thursday, Labour MP Richard Burgon said: “Sanctions against Israel’s illegal settlements would be a very welcome first step in helping to end Israel’s unlawful occupation. The International Court of Justice has made clear that every state has an obligation to bring that illegality to an end. These sanctions would be a key move in fulfilling our legal and moral obligations.”

The E1 settlement project would ultimately create a continuous settlement “corridor” between occupied East Jerusalem and the large Ma’ale Adumim settlement, about 7km east of Jerusalem. Under international law, settlements and outposts on occupied land are illegal.

Sarah Sanbar, a researcher on Israel-Palestine at Human Rights Watch (HRW), told Al Jazeera: “The UK government has long viewed E1 as a red line, and Israel’s complete disregard for that red line appears to be what’s driving these possible actions.”

On August 19, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband issued a statement on behalf of the UK government condemning the settlement expansion. The statement said: “The Israeli government’s announcement of tenders for the E1 settlement project is an unacceptable and damaging act,” adding that Miliband had summoned the Israeli deputy ambassador to express opposition. The statement further said: “In the coming weeks, we will outline a comprehensive set of measures in response to the Israeli government’s policies, to protect the viability of a Palestinian state, to target sanctions against those involved in illegal settlement expansion, and to support a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians.”

Last week, Bloomberg News reported that Burnham’s government was “drafting new sanctions.” A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said: “We do not comment on speculation. The Foreign Secretary has made clear that illegal settlements threaten the viability of a Palestinian state and undermine the security of both Israelis and Palestinians.”

Sanbar said: “HRW welcomes any step by the UK to ban trade with illegal settlements. We have long called on the UK not only to condemn but to act concretely. Only through concrete action, showing that violations of international law will face consequences, not just words, can we expect behavior to change.”

Pro-Israel groups oppose the ban

However, critics of the ban, notably the group Labour for Israel Friendship (LFI), argue that sanctions could have economic consequences for Britons, Palestinians, and Israelis, or be entirely unworkable.

LFI’s most recent report noted that Israel’s settlement expansion “undermines the viability of a future Palestinian state and does nothing for Israel’s security.” However, the report also condemned sanctions targeting “violent extremist settlers and organizations,” calling such measures “unworkable.”

Experts say it is unclear where the unworkability lies. Sanbar said: “That’s incorrect and it’s not a valid reason for the UK not to fulfill its obligations under international law.”

The LFI report also noted that Israel’s settlement economy is “closely” linked with Palestinians and Israelis living within Israel’s borders could be “adversely” affected because a ban could become “a de facto boycott of Israel.” Sanbar argued that theory does not hold: “Opponents of the ban often try to conflate the Israeli economy with the economy of the settlements. If business owners move their operations out of occupied territory, essentially if they stop violating international law, they can continue their business activities.”

Beyond Israel, the US has also shown readiness to retaliate against foreign governments that oppose Israel’s actions. The administration of President Donald Trump recently imposed sanctions on several members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) who have investigated war crimes in Gaza.

Poll: Half of Britons support the ban

The concerns of ban critics do not reflect the views of the British public. A recent YouGov poll showed that one in two Britons supports banning trade with illegal settlements, and only 16% of respondents oppose the ban.

Advocacy groups like the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) have also noticed a shift among the public. A PSC spokesperson told Al Jazeera: “The local election results in May and the polls at that time showed that British voters deserted Labour in large numbers because the party failed to hold Israel accountable for genocide in Gaza.”

More than 140 Labour MPs, including Burgon, have called for this trade ban.

Labour MP Sarah Champion of Rotherham, who chairs the International Development Committee, said: “Burnham is right to plan sanctions on Israeli settlements and a ban on goods from them. The occupation of the West Bank is illegal under international law, and we should not support it in any form.”

Chris Doyle, Director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, wrote to The Sunday Times expressing support for the ban and opposing its critics. He wrote: “The UK ban on trade with Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories is long overdue,” adding that “this is a problem created by Israel.”

In the last year alone, Israel spent over $800 million expanding illegal settlements after Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler, promised in 2023 to “double” the settler population.

The UK’s planned sanctions, for human rights advocates and experts like Sanbar, are a welcome step in opposing Israel’s increasingly blatant campaign against Palestinians. Sanbar emphasized: “Banning trade with illegal settlements will make war crimes less profitable.”