Britain announces ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, UK-Israel relations hit rock bottom

The British government announced on Tuesday (September 8) a ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the move marked "the beginning of a new approach" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that "not only condemns injustice and suffering, but also takes action."

The magnitude of this moment is underscored by Israel's strong reaction to the British government's decision.

Britain endured Israel's wrath, but 12 countries chose to join forces to take action, which obviously further aggravated Israel's anger.

Officials in London had always known that such a dramatic shift in British policy on the Israeli-Palestinian issue was bound to trigger a hostile response, but they still seemed to be caught off guard by the swiftness and ferocity of Israel's response.

The British consulate in East Jerusalem was closed. The consulate is responsible for West Bank affairs and works directly with the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah. In addition, British representatives were withdrawn from the International Gaza Support Center. The center was established last year to coordinate stabilization and relief efforts in the Gaza Strip. These are extremely hostile actions.

These actions show that Israel is deeply disturbed by the decision of the United Kingdom and 11 other countries, including France, Spain and Canada.

Products produced in settlements may account for only a small portion of Israel's exports, but the political symbolism of singling them out for special treatment is powerful.

Britain and other governments have considered settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory illegal for decades but have stopped short of further banning products grown or produced there.

Now, the UK has announced that it agrees with the 2024 International Court of Justice ruling that the entire occupation - including Israel's military presence - is illegal. Foreign Minister Wen Li-bin said the government's economic relations with Israel must also reflect this.

The ban therefore targets not only products, but also companies that provide construction, infrastructure or financing services for settlements. The measures also include restrictions on the sale of weapons that "substantially enable the occupation," to a greater extent than many expected.

What is striking is not just these actions, but the sincere, even deeply personal, language of the Foreign Secretary's statement.

Wen Libin described himself as "a person who is proud to be a British Jew... and firmly supports the State of Israel." His speech was more direct and pointed than almost all previous foreign ministers.

In particular, a British foreign secretary described "rampant settler terrorism" leading to "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians in parts of the West Bank, while the Israeli government "turns a blind eye".

Wen Libin called this a "repositioning" of Britain's policy toward Israel. But there are moments today that feel more like a radical rethink, and one that has pushed British-Israeli relations to their lowest point in decades.

Of course, the tense and restless atmosphere that always accompanies Israeli elections may have intensified the violent reaction of Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, but most Israelis should be equally angry.

Many Israelis believe that the violent and messianic ideas pursued by some settlers are deeply disturbing, and some even regard them as a national disgrace.

But this does not mean they agree that settlements established on land occupied during the 1967 Six-Day War are illegal.

Most people would strongly disagree with former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s claims. Olmert last year accused his successor, Benjamin Netanyahu, of making Israel a "pariah" in the international community.

But they also feel anxious and wary of the impending international condemnation - from protests at the Eurovision song contest or sporting events, to international arrest warrants against Israeli leaders and now bans on settlement products.

For Palestinians, on the other hand, it feels like progress is being made.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry praised countries that have imposed sanctions but called for "urgent, concrete measures" to stop Israel's "illegal settlement plans".

In London, Dr Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, called the British government's decision "a turning point in UK-Pakistan relations".

He said the "courageous steps" taken by Britain would help pave the way for a Palestinian state to achieve independence along the 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital.

But Zumlot knows that the reality of Israel’s 59-year occupation is not over, or even significantly changed.

The prospect of establishing a viable Palestinian state remains bleak, and coordinated actions by 12 countries show little sign in the short term of reversing Israel's seemingly unstoppable gradual control of the West Bank.

Only the United States has this level of influence—if it chooses to use it.

In 1991, then-President George HW Bush and his hawkish Secretary of State James Baker threatened to withhold US$10 billion (67.1 billion yuan; NT$314.6 billion) in loan guarantees from the Israeli government if then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir refused to promise not to use the loan guarantees to finance settlement activities in the occupied territories.

But so far, Trump has shown no willingness to curb Netanyahu's settlement plans.

Some people in Trump's "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement have turned against Israel in recent years, but US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee (Huckabee) is a devout Christian Zionist who shares the same view as Israel and believes that the West Bank is the land promised to the Jewish people by God.

The actions of Britain and its partners on Tuesday therefore not only put them against Israel, but also against Washington, Israel's most important supporter.

West Bank Sanctions Issue: Bayend Shows Going Further Than Shi Ji-Hsien

BBC political editor Chris Mason

Senior government figures believe that the latest announcement is a reasonable extension of Britain's formal recognition of the Palestinian state; but from the wording to the actual actions, it expresses Prime Minister Beander's desire to go further than his predecessor Shi Jixian.

Wen Libin believes that this is a reaffirmation of the logic of ultimately realizing the "two-state solution" - that is, the establishment of a viable Palestinian state next to Israel.