France 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.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband is set to announce a series of sanctions against Israel on Tuesday afternoon before Parliament in London. The measures include a ban on trade in goods produced in Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria, a step Israel Hayom reported on Monday.
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 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. Huckabee warned that if the sanctions against Israel are set in motion, that British citizens will not be able to do business with any companies in Florida.
Huckabee accused the British government of "Jew hatred."
When asked whether he was aware that the UK's foreign secretary is himself Jewish, Huckabee responded that he was, but noted that there are Americans who don't automatically love America just because they live there. He continued saying that the UK sanctions against Israel are irrational and that is unclear what they are intended to achieve.
Huckabee also questioned why Britain has not placed sanctions against North Korea, China, and Russia, if it seeks to address issues that it finds objectionable.
The sanctions are expected to focus on a ban on importing goods from the settlements, primarily agricultural products. As Israel Hayom has learned, the package is 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.
