Key facts
- The UK government is reportedly considering a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements.
- This potential ban is seen as a step towards ending UK complicity in Israel's violations of international law.
- Arguments against the ban include claims it would be anti-Semitic and that settler violence is fringe behavior.
- The article highlights that half of Britons support banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements.
- The International Court of Justice's advisory opinion affirmed the illegality of the Israeli occupation.
Mounting rumors suggest the UK government is preparing to implement a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements, a long-standing demand of the Palestine solidarity movement. The article argues that the UK's continued support for Israel, despite its violations of international law and the "genocidal" destruction of Gaza, has become untenable. Israel's acceleration of settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, including retroactively legalizing outposts and increasing settler violence, has reportedly prompted UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband to announce "comprehensive" measures. The piece also criticizes the past stance of Labour leader Keir Starmer, suggesting that incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham's acknowledgment of declining public support necessitates a stronger policy. The article refutes common arguments against such a ban, including the claim that it would be anti-Semitic, that settler violence is isolated, or that it would lead to a broader boycott of Israel. It highlights that half of Britons support a ban on goods and services linked to illegal settlements and references the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion affirming the illegality of the Israeli occupation.