Israel, which has imposed new sanctions on goods from West Bank settlements, has demanded that the British government shut down its East Jerusalem consulate within 30 days. The diplomatic response follows Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s statement to the UK Parliament that the trade restrictions were “a necessary response to injustice and a support to the two-state solution.
The UK sanctions came as part of coordinated action by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs in France and by Global Affairs Canada, also announced Tuesday. The restrictions on trade, one of the toughest coordinated responses of Israel’s Western allies, underscore Israel’s increasing international isolation over the war in Gaza and its continuing settlement expansion in the occupied territories.
In addition to ordering the closure of the consulate, which handles Palestinian issues in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel barred 12 British politicians from entering the country. Israeli authorities also demanded that British diplomats stationed in a Gaza coordination center leave, and prohibited the UK from training Palestinian security forces.
The policies of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office were bitterly criticized by Israeli leaders. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar called London “dirt hands in,” ahead of Israel’s general election on Oct. 27. The economic consequences are already a concern for settler businesses, despite Israel having yet to announce countermeasures against the other 10 countries that have signed the UK measures, or Canada, France, and Israel.
Although settlement goods represent just a portion of Israel’s total exports, the bans will entirely block the settlement products from the targeted European markets. The financial blow will be expected to be tough for local businessmen who run legitimate businesses in localities that are not recognised by the international community as legal in accordance with the international law.
Yaakov Berg, the head of the Psagot Winery near Ramallah, which right groups say is owned by Palestinians, pointed out that 60% of his exports were sold to the United Kingdom in the past. Likewise, date growers in the Jordan Valley said they would have to shut their operations down if they did not gain access to the European market, and that would mean that many of their Palestinian workers would lose their livelihood.
The responses to the surfeiting of goods have been numerous. Washington has not made any comments about Israel. Washington’s position on Israel seems to be rather lukewarm. The U.S. government’s response only states that it does not support anything leading to instability in the West Bank. Ambassador Huckabee was the only one who made some strong statements against the U.K. government.
