British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband stood before the House of Commons in London on Tuesday and announced a sweeping round of UK sanctions against Israel. The measures include a ban on trade in goods produced in Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria, a step Israel Hayom reported on Monday.
Miliband referred to the UN's definition of ethnic cleansing, saying that the UK government "agrees" that there is in ethnic cleansing taking place in parts of the West Bank, as reported by the BBC. He also told MPs that "all too often" the Israeli government has turned a "blind eye," and said, "today I announce the official view of the British government is that the occupation is unlawful."
A string of European countries quickly signaled they would join the effort, among them France, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Canada also followed suit.
France had announced earlier that it may join the UK in imposing sanctions on Judea and Samaria settlements, Israel Hayom has learned, a day after it was reported that London was set to announce the measures.
The UK had been engaging France and Canada in the hope of persuading both countries to adopt its planned sanctions, which are set to be announced as early as Tuesday, Israel Hayom can confirm.
Washington isn't staying quiet. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told the BBC Tuesday morning, "I think without a doubt there will be [a reaction]," referring to an American response. He questioned whether British officials grasp what they're setting in motion and noted that a quarter of the medications used in Britain are manufactured in Israel.
Huckabee further questioned whether Britain would be prepared to give up these medications and potentially cause significant damage to British citizens who are doing business in several US states.
The ambassador declined to specify what form Washington's response might take, but pointed to existing state-level legislation in several states such as Florida. He warned that if the sanctions against Israel are set in motion, British citizens will not be able to do business with any Florida companies.
Huckabee further accused the British government of "Jew hatred," saying that the UK-imposed sanctions are irrational and that is unclear what they are intended to achieve. When asked whether he knew that the UK's foreign secretary was himself Jewish, Huckabee responded that he was aware, but noted that there are Americans who don't automatically love the US just because they live there.
The sanctions focus on a ban on importing goods from the settlements, primarily agricultural products. As Israel Hayom has learned, the measures are also expected to include personal sanctions on settlers whose names have been linked to violence against Palestinians, as well as sanctions on activists and organizations working against the entry of aid into Gaza. Diplomatic officials assessed that the move is largely declarative in nature, since implementing the measures requires regulatory and legal infrastructure, and it will likely not take effect until after a new government is formed in Israel.
The UK asserted that the import ban and associated sanctions, which follow criticism of Israel's E1 settlement project in Judea and Samaria, indicate Britain's renewed support for the two-state solution, as reported by Reuters.
