Key facts
- UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced a ban on goods from Israeli settlements.
- Miliband accused Israel of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.
- The UK government accepted the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion that the occupation is unlawful.
- France and Canada have agreed to impose similar trade bans on Israeli settlements.
- Miliband condemned the Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions movement.
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has announced a ban on trade with Israeli settlements, accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. This move marks a significant shift in UK policy, overturning decades of what has been described as "boilerplate statements of concern" regarding illegal settlements.
Miliband stated that he refused to be a bystander to further suffering and the destruction of the two-state solution, which he believes settlement expansion represents. He also accepted the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion from June 2024 that the occupation itself is unlawful, a stance that arguably places stronger obligations on the UK government to not assist the occupation. This acceptance may explain why the trade ban extends to services such as providing insurance for illegal settlements.
The UK's new policy has provoked fury from Israel but is reportedly popular within the UK. Notably, France and Canada have agreed to impose similar trade bans, a diplomatic achievement for Miliband that bypasses potential opposition within the European Union. This coordinated action by multiple countries is seen as making Israeli reprisals more difficult and underlining Israel's isolation.
However, the UK's response has limitations. Miliband has left it to international courts to determine whether a genocide occurred in Gaza, citing mounting evidence of ethnic cleansing but deferring to judicial processes. There is also no pledge to protect international courts from US efforts to render them inoperable. Furthermore, an exemption remains for the sale of parts for F35 jet planes to the US spares pool, based on the criteria that these sales do not materially support the occupation. Miliband also specifically condemned the Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions movement for targeting the entire Israeli economy rather than just the occupied territories.
Despite these limitations, the move is seen by some as a display of "unprecedented moral courage" in the face of state-backed terrorism by illegal settlers. The risk of a backlash from the White House exists, but President Trump is seen as being in a difficult political position. Miliband's actions are viewed as a bold step taken after significant loss of life in Gaza and with the two-state solution on life support.