UK Announces Tough New Measures Against Israeli Settlements, Citing Threat to Two-State Solution.
LONDON:
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced a new package of targeted measures against Israel’s settlement policies in the occupied Palestinian territories, saying Britain must act to defend the prospects of a two-state solution and respond to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In a strongly worded statement, Burnham said Britain faced a risk of losing the confidence to “lead and stand up for its values” in an increasingly dangerous world. He said the government would not allow that to happen and argued that Britain’s long-standing support for a two-state solution must be backed by concrete action.
“For too long, we have been hesitant to act, fearful of being accused of being anti-Israel,” Burnham said, while stressing that the measures were directed at the policies of the current Israeli government rather than the Israeli people.
The new measures include a ban on trade in goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory. The UK government will also formally change its position to state that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful, aligning its assessment with the conclusion of the International Court of Justice.
Britain will additionally impose sanctions on individuals and companies that support, facilitate or profit from illegal settlements. The measures will include businesses and investors involved in the proposed E1 settlement project in the West Bank.
Burnham said the planned E1 development posed a particularly serious threat to the possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian state, arguing that it would create a territorial divide through the West Bank and undermine the prospects of a two-state settlement.
Growing concern over settlements and violence
The Prime Minister cited the expansion of Israeli settlements and increasing settler violence as evidence that the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories was deteriorating rapidly.
According to the statement, the Israeli government has approved 104 new settlements since taking office in December 2022, while more settlements have reportedly been approved during the past four years than in the preceding two decades.
Burnham also referred to United Nations reporting of more than 1,500 incidents of settler violence during the year, which he said were aimed at driving Palestinians from their communities.
He warned that allowing the E1 settlement project to proceed would further undermine the possibility of a negotiated two-state solution.
“It cannot be allowed to happen,” he said.
Humanitarian crisis in Gaza
Alongside the settlement-related measures, the UK government is also announcing a new package of humanitarian assistance for Gaza.
Burnham described the suffering of Palestinians as “a scar on the conscience of the world”, highlighting the continuing deaths of civilians, including children, as well as the severe shortage of humanitarian aid entering Gaza.
The statement cited more than 70,000 deaths, including at least 20,000 children, along with the displacement of millions of people and widespread destruction across the territory.
The Prime Minister said Gaza’s population had been confined to roughly one-third of the territory, describing the scale of destruction as difficult to comprehend.
“I will not stand by as the horrific suffering continues to grow,” Burnham said, warning that the humanitarian crisis was occurring alongside growing threats to the prospects of a two-state solution.
Britain condemns Hamas while criticising Israeli government
Burnham also reiterated Britain’s condemnation of the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, describing it as a “monstrous terrorist attack” and saying he continued to condemn Hamas.
However, he argued that the attack did not justify the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza or the West Bank.
The Prime Minister sought to draw a clear distinction between the Israeli government and the Israeli population, emphasising that the measures announced by Britain did not amount to sanctions against Israel as a whole.
“The Israeli people are not responsible for the actions of their government,” he said.
He also issued a strong warning against hostility towards Britain’s Jewish community, saying that British Jews must not be blamed for the policies of the Israeli government.
“Blaming British Jews for the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is wrong, plain and simple. And it is antisemitism, plain and simple,” Burnham said.
He added that his government would continue working to protect Jewish communities in Britain and combat antisemitism.
Government says measures are aimed at preserving two-state solution
Burnham said the measures were ultimately intended to protect the possibility of Israelis and Palestinians living alongside each other in peace and security.
He described a two-state solution as the “best hope for peace and stability in the region” and said Britain would continue working with international partners to preserve that prospect.
“We are taking these steps because it is the right thing to do,” Burnham said.
The announcement represents a significant tightening of Britain’s approach towards Israeli settlement activity, while the government maintains that its measures are targeted at settlement policies and those who support them rather than at Israel or the Israeli population as a whole.
