Rights groups welcome UK action on Israeli settlements as Israel threatens retaliation
B’Tselem says recognition of West Bank “ethnic cleansing” should begin broader international action, while Israeli ministers demand retaliation and US officials warn of consequences
LONDON (MNTV) — Britain’s decision to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank has drawn sharply contrasting reactions, with human rights advocates welcoming the move as overdue while Israeli and U.S. officials threatened diplomatic and economic consequences.
Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem said Britain’s recognition that “ethnic cleansing” is taking place in the West Bank should serve as the beginning of stronger international action against Israeli policies.
“The UK government’s recognition that ethnic cleansing is taking place in the West Bank, alongside the growing move by governments from condemnation to concrete action, must mark the beginning of a broader shift in how the international community acts to stop Israel’s crimes,” B’Tselem said in a media update Tuesday.
The organization has repeatedly described the displacement of Palestinian communities in the West Bank as part of an Israeli policy of ethnic cleansing. B’Tselem reported last week that 66 Palestinian communities had been completely expelled since October 2023, while another 18 had been partially displaced.
Julie Norman, an associate fellow at London-based think tank Chatham House, similarly described a British settlement trade ban as “long overdue.”
Norman said the measure would bring British trade policy into line with international law and the U.K.’s recognition of Palestinian statehood.
She pointed to the International Court of Justice’s 2024 advisory opinion, which said states should take steps to prevent trade and investment relationships that help sustain Israel’s illegal settlements.
“The U.K. has a strategic interest, a legal obligation, and a moral duty to stop supporting unlawful settlements that undermine efforts for future peace and security in the region,” Norman said.
UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese also welcomed the proposed settlement ban, describing it as an “absolutely important” change in British policy.
However, Albanese said restricting settlement goods alone would not be enough and called for what she described as a “true paradigm shift” in relations with Israel.
She argued that governments should address the broader economic, military and diplomatic support that sustains Israel’s occupation rather than focusing narrowly on products originating in settlements.
The British move is also being accompanied by action from other Western governments.
France and Canada are joining Britain in introducing national bans on settlement goods, while Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden joined a statement supporting national or European restrictions or saying they were considering further measures.
The 12 governments said they “firmly oppose actions tantamount to the annexation of Palestinian land and forcible displacement of the Palestinian population.”
Israeli officials demand retaliation
Israeli officials reacted angrily.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for Britain’s ambassador to Israel to be expelled, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to shut the British Consulate in occupied East Jerusalem.
Ben-Gvir had earlier called on Israel to recognize Argentina’s claim over the British-administered Falkland Islands in retaliation for the British measures.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also attacked the decision, accusing Britain of “gross interference” in Israel’s election and arguing that the sanctions would harm Palestinians as well as Israelis.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar warned that Israel would retaliate if Britain proceeded with measures against it.
“If Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain,” he said.
US officials warn Britain of consequences
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee described the measures as “discrimination against the Jewish people” and warned that Britain could face repercussions in the United States.
Huckabee said British companies could be prevented from doing business with some U.S. states because of state laws penalizing companies that boycott Israel.
Asked whether there would be an American response, Huckabee said: “I think without a doubt there will be.”
Florida Republican Congressman Randy Fine went further, warning that British businesses could face billions of dollars in losses under Florida’s anti-boycott legislation.
Fine described the British policy as a “vanity project in support of Muslim terror” and declared: “Any company — or nation — that boycotts Israel is boycotted by Florida.”
The British measures, however, apply specifically to settlements in occupied Palestinian territory rather than to Israel as a whole.
The United Nations, the International Court of Justice and most governments consider Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank illegal under international law. Israel disputes that position.
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