Key facts
- Over 130 legal experts, including 18 KCs, wrote to the UK prime minister regarding sanctions on Israeli settlements.
- The experts argue that UK sanctions on Israeli settlements are "improperly narrow" compared to those on Russia.
- The ICJ issued an advisory opinion in 2024 ordering Israel to end its occupation "as rapidly as possible".
- Signatories called for a full arms embargo on Israel.
- The Israeli foreign minister accused the UK government of "outrageous lies".
More than 130 legal experts, including 18 King's Counsel, have written to the UK government stating that recent sanctions on Israeli settlements do not go far enough to meet Britain's obligations under international law. The letter, sent on Tuesday, argues that the measures announced by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband last week are "improperly narrow" when compared to sanctions imposed on Russia.
The experts, who include prominent lawyers Michael Mansfield KC and Imran Khan KC, and former lord justice of appeal Alan Moses, referenced a 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The UN's top court ordered Israel to end its occupation "as rapidly as possible" and stated that other countries have an obligation not to recognize the occupation as lawful or to aid or assist it.
The signatories contend that the ICJ's findings have not impacted Israel's "apartheid practice" and that while the UK sanctions are a "necessary corrective," they should extend to wider economic structures supporting the illegal conduct, not just economic activity in occupied territories. They are calling for more rigorous measures to ensure the UK's economic relationship with Israel does not sustain the illegal occupation and settlements.
The letter also advocates for a full arms embargo on Israel, citing Article 6(3) of the Arms Trade Treaty, which prohibits arms transfers when a state has knowledge of crimes such as ethnic cleansing, a charge Miliband leveled against Israel's actions in the West Bank. The sanctions were announced following escalating attacks by Israeli settlers and a tender for 1,200 homes in the E1 settlement, which critics say could sever the West Bank in two.
Professor Ralph Wilde, a signatory and professor of international law at University College London, welcomed the government's acknowledgment of the occupation's illegality but stressed that the UK's legal duties extend beyond limited actions against settlements. He stated that states have "special legal duties to take comprehensive action to bring this and other illegal actions by Israel, including its genocide in Gaza, to an end."
A government spokesperson described the sanctions as the "biggest reset in the UK’s approach to protecting and securing the two-state solution in a generation," affirming commitment to international law. In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused Miliband of "outrageous lies" and claimed the UK government was "systematically working against the state of Israel."