UK Announces Sanctions on Israeli West Bank Settlements, says ‘Settler Terrorists’ Are Committing Ethnic Cleansing
Israel retaliated with sanctions against British MPs
and says it will shutter the UK's consulate in East Jerusalem
by Dave DeCamp | September 8, 2026
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced on Tuesday that the UK was imposing trade restrictions on Jewish
settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which are illegal under
international law, and said that “settler terrorists” are committing “ethnic
cleansing” against the Palestinian population.
Miliband said it was the official position of the
British government that the “occupation is unlawful because of Israel’s
entrenchment of its control, its intention to extend permanent sovereignty and
its expansionist agenda via illegal settlements.” He added that the “British
government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of
the West Bank perpetrated by settler terrorists.”
According to The Guardian, the sanctions include:
- An
import ban on goods from illegal settlements in the occupied territories.
- A
comprehensive sanctions regime against providing services such as
construction or financing for Israeli settlements.
- A
ban on the advertising in the UK of illegal settlement properties.
- Personal
sanctions against key individuals accused of promoting settler violence.
- A
new ban on arms licenses and other exports that “materially contribute to
the occupation”
The announcement marks a shift in the British
government’s position on Israel since new Prime Minister Andy Burnham took
power in July.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced “retaliatory measures,” which include sanctions on 11
British members of parliament, the closure of the UK’s consulate in East
Jerusalem, and the removal of British personnel from a military post in
southern Israel meant to oversee the ceasefire in Gaza, which Israel has
constantly violated with daily attacks.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee suggested the UK
could face economic retaliation in
the US and accused the
British government of “Jew hatred” despite Miliband himself being Jewish, a
fact he was confronted with in an interview with the BBC. In his remarks, Miliband recounted visiting his grandmother, who
lived in Israel, when he was a child and said he had “unwavering” support for
the state of Israel, and noted elsewhere in his speech that the “sanctions
regime will target illegal settlements and settlement expansion, not Israel.”
The UK was one of 12 countries that signed a joint
statement released Tuesday confirming their “intention to introduce national
and/or support European restrictions on trade in goods with settlements which
are illegal under international law, or that they are actively considering
these and other measures, in accordance with their national procedures.”
The other 11 countries that signed the statement
include Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. The statement noted the “unprecedented levels of
settler violence and settlement expansion” that have been taking place in the
West Bank.
The 12 countries said Israel’s actions were
“undermining the possibility of a two-State solution” and called on the Israeli
government to “immediately halt the expansion of settlements and civilian
administrative powers, ensure accountability for settler violence, and
investigate allegations against Israeli forces.”
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