The UK bans goods from Israeli settlements as Miliband accuses settlers of ‘ethnic cleansing.’

National Press Corporation (NPC)
United Kingdom—Britain has announced restrictions on imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, joining a broader international effort aimed at increasing pressure on Israel over settlement expansion and escalating violence against Palestinians.

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told Parliament on Tuesday that the UK would prohibit goods originating from Israeli settlements, while accusing violent settlers of carrying out what he described as “ethnic cleansing” and saying the Israeli government had turned a “blind eye” to their actions.

The measures represent a significant hardening of Britain’s policy towards Israeli settlements and come amid growing international concern that continued expansion in the West Bank is undermining prospects for a viable Palestinian state.

The UK government said Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden were also introducing, supporting, or actively considering restrictions on trade with settlements under their respective national procedures.

In a joint statement, the 12 countries said the situation in the West Bank was “rapidly deteriorating,” citing settlement expansion and unprecedented levels of settler violence. The governments stressed that the measures concern settlements rather than trade with Israel as a whole.

Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem are considered illegal under international law by the United Nations and most of the international community, a position disputed by Israel. In a 2024 advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice concluded that the settlements had been established and were being maintained in violation of international law and said Israel should immediately cease new settlement activity.

The British move has prompted strong criticism from Israel and some Jewish organisations in the UK. Israel’s President Isaac Herzog described the restrictions as a “grave miscalculation,” while the Jewish Leadership Council said the policy was “deeply irresponsible” and risked increasing pressure on British Jewish communities.

Human rights organisations broadly welcomed the announcement. Human Rights Watch described the shift as long-awaited, while Amnesty International UK and ActionAid UK said the measures represented an important step toward greater accountability.

The dispute could also complicate Britain’s relationship with the United States. US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has warned that British companies could face restrictions in some US states because of legislation designed to counter boycotts of Israel.

The announcement comes as Israel advances further settlement construction in the West Bank and amid heightened international concern over attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian communities.

Britain says the measures are intended to protect the viability of a two-state solution, under which Israel and an independent Palestinian state would exist alongside one another.