Israeli settlers are committing ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, says Ed Miliband
The foreign secretary gave a statement in the House of Commons this afternoon.
Israeli settlers are committing “ethnic cleansing” in the West Bank, Ed Miliband has said.
The Foreign Secretary announced sanctions on illegal settlements in the House of Commons on Tuesday.
The UK’s sanctions will see a ban on imports from illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and sanctions on individuals and firms providing services to settlers.
Mr Miliband said the British Government believed the occupation as a whole was unlawful, going beyond the previous position that only described the settlements themselves as illegal.
And he said there was increasing evidence that Israel had committed war crimes in Gaza, but stopped short of saying it was responsible for a genocide – maintaining the UK’s position that could only be decided by international courts.
The reset in the UK’s approach under Andy Burnham has already triggered a backlash from Donald Trump’s White House and Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israel.
But Mr Miliband told MPs the “new approach” was necessary because plans for the E1 development in the West Bank would render a two-state solution “unviable” by “cutting through the heart of Palestine”.
He said more settlements had been approved under the four years of Mr Netanyahu’s government than in the previous 20 years, and settler terrorism in the West Bank was “rampant”.
“The British government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank – perpetrated by settler terrorists,” Mr Miliband told the Commons.
“And all too often the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this and worse, members of it have made statements and taken actions to support the forced displacement of Palestinians.”
Announcing an import ban on goods from illegal settlements, he said: “I do not believe the British people want us supporting the occupation by accepting products from settlements in our shops and supermarkets.”
A new comprehensive sanctions regime will target companies and individuals providing services such as financing and construction for the settlements.
There will also be a ban on advertising in the UK of illegal settlements.
Legislation for the new regime could take up to nine months to put in place, Mr Miliband said, but he promised immediate sanctions against “extremist settlers who have supported or incited acts of violence”.
Mr Miliband said the Government would now refuse all applications for the export of weapons and equipment that would “materially contribute to the occupation”.
On Gaza, the Foreign Secretary said there had been “the most unimaginable trauma and suffering” which was “a stain on the conscience of the world and of this country too”.
In a criticism of Sir Keir Starmer’s administration, in which he served, Mr Miliband said new Prime Minister Mr Burnham was “right to say that the Labour government has not done enough in the face of what is happening”.
The Foreign Secretary acknowledged Israel had “the right not to live in fear of vile terrorism” and to defend its territory and people following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.
“But that cannot justify what has happened in Gaza,” he said.
The Foreign Secretary said events in Gaza, including the actions of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) had been examined by organisations including the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry.
“The conclusions of these reports represent increasing evidence that war crimes appear to have been committed,” he said.
“And we support legal processes to determine this.”
Mr Miliband, who described himself as a “proud British Jew”, made clear he was “unwavering” in his support for the State of Israel and “our argument is with the conduct of its government”.
The British government’s actions were condemned by the US and Israel before they were even formally announced.
Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar announced that the UK’s consulate in Jerusalem would be closed as part of a package of retaliatory measures.
He also said Israel would ban 11 MPs and a campaigner involved in what he claimed was “antisemitic and anti-Israel activity” from entry to the country.
They include former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called it an “irrational action”.
“I feel like it’s discrimination against the Israeli government. It’s a discrimination against the Jewish people,” he told the BBC’s Today programme.
He added: “I also would tell you that I don’t know if they have thought it through. It’s like throwing a stone and not having an idea of where it’s going to land.
“And I realise, look, the UK is a sovereign country, they can do what they want, but so is the US.”
Mr Saar warned: “If Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain.”
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s hardline public security minister, called on Mr Netanyahu to publicly recognise the Falkland Islands as “Argentine territory under occupation, which the British violently steal from the Argentine people”.
SNP First Minister John Swinney welcomed the sanctions.
He said: “The UK Government's announcement of a trade ban on Israeli settlements is welcome and long overdue. Scotland has proudly recognised the State of Palestine, and we are clear that Israel must be held to account for the genocide in Gaza and its damaging actions in the West Bank.
“These settlements are illegal under international law and are deeply wrong. Their presence, as well as the appalling settler violence against Palestinian communities, undermine the prospects of a sustainable Palestinian state in a lasting two-state solution.
“There can be no impunity for violations of international law - no ifs, no buts.”
The sanctions were also welcomed by the Scottish Greens, who said the Scottish Government was now “lagging behind” the UK Government.
Co-leader Gillian Mackay said: “The Scottish Government must play its part too. Over a year after Parliament backed our calls for boycotts, divestment and sanctions, SNP ministers have yet to implement Parliament’s decision in full. The SNP Government must listen to Scotland’s parliament, and turn that support into action.
“The Scottish Government must stop waiting for Westminster to step in, and use the powers it has to fully implement Parliament’s democratic decision.”
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