Britain is changing course in its policy towards Israel. On Tuesday, the decision on sanctions was made public: Britain will ban the import of goods and services from Israeli settlements.
The sanctions send a “clear signal” to the Israeli government, says Miliband:
We will not accept the destruction of the two-state solution.
He accuses the Israeli government of turning a blind eye to what he calls “ethnic cleansing” carried out by settlers in the West Bank.
Several countries are taking action
Britain's decision is followed by sanctions demands from eleven more countries: Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Finland, France, Poland, Portugal, Ireland, Spain and Canada.
Several EU countries want the Union to pursue a unified position on the issue of sanctions against trade with Israeli settlements.
"The situation is rapidly deteriorating due to increased levels of settler violence and an unprecedented expansion of settlements," the countries warn in a joint statement.
In a written comment to TT, Sweden's Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) says that more needs to be done to reduce trade with Israeli settlements:
"We prioritize acting together with other member states because it has a greater impact. The settlements and settlement policies undermine the two-state solution," she writes.
Israel builds more settlements
Britain has sharply criticized Israel's approved plans to build new settlements east of Jerusalem in the so-called "E1 area." The plans "cross a line," "cut right through the West Bank and risk making the realization of a Palestinian state impossible," Ed Miliband has said in the British parliament.
In anticipation of the announcement of the sanctions, Israeli Security Minister Ben-Gvir urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to close the British consulate in east Jerusalem, writes the BBC .
Settler violence and harassment against Palestinian civilians have increased sharply in recent years. In the past 24 hours, four Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces, according to Palestinian authorities.
Israel's settlements in the West Bank violate international law and are condemned by a number of countries.
