Key facts
- Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the BDS movement, urged the UK to end all trade and support for Israel.
- Barghouti cited the ICJ's rulings on the illegality of Israel's occupation and a plausible risk of genocide.
- The UK is reportedly preparing to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
- British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is set to introduce a policy reset on Israel.
- Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar warned of retaliatory measures against Britain if it acts against Israel.
Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, has called on the United Kingdom to end all trade and relations with Israel, asserting that such actions are a legal and ethical obligation under international law to stop alleged genocide in Gaza.
Barghouti described targeted sanctions against individual settler groups or ministers as insufficient and a distraction from the UK's responsibility to cease all support, including arms exports, trade deals, and academic relations that may enable Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories. He referenced the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) July 2024 ruling that Israel's occupation of Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem is illegal and constitutes apartheid, as well as its January 2024 finding of a plausible risk of genocide.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has indicated a forthcoming "comprehensive reset" of UK policy on Israel and is reportedly considering a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Miliband has specifically condemned the E1 settlement plan, stating it would make a two-state solution impossible.
However, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council have cautioned Miliband that a ban on settlement trade could incite antisemitism in the UK. Conversely, the group Yachad met with Miliband to voice concerns shared by many British Jews regarding the entrenchment of the occupation.
In response to potential UK actions, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar issued a warning, stating that Israel possesses the means to retaliate if Britain acts against the state. Barghouti countered that current UK sanctions are "performative" and lack concrete impact, arguing that Israel has effectively annexed Palestinian territory, making it difficult to distinguish settlement goods. He emphasized that BDS measures must be legal and ethical, targeting perpetrators of international crimes.
Barghouti expressed continued faith in international law, viewing it as a dynamic force that can be evolved and expanded. He stressed the necessity of people power alongside international law and ethical considerations to achieve liberation.