Ed Miliband has rejected the UK chief rabbi's warning that new sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements will make British Jews less safe, insisting ministers can confront the Netanyahu government while fighting antisemitism.
Key facts
- Ed Miliband rejected Sir Ephraim Mirvis's claim that West Bank settlement sanctions endanger British Jews.
- The government announced sweeping sanctions on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank on Tuesday.
- Measures include an import ban on goods from illegal settlements and a ban on arms licences and exports that materially contribute to the occupation.
- The package also targets services such as construction and financing, advertising of settlements, and key individuals accused of promoting settler violence.
- The UK government took the position that Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territory was unlawful.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has rejected warnings from the UK’s chief rabbi that the government’s sanctions against illegal Israeli settlements will make British Jews less safe, according to the Guardian. Miliband stressed that ministers can confront the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government while also fighting antisemitism.
Miliband said Sir Ephraim Mirvis was wrong to suggest the measures against Israeli settlements would make British Jews less safe. The comments came after the government announced a broad package of sanctions targeting trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
The foreign secretary announced the sweeping sanctions on Tuesday, with the government taking the position that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory was unlawful, the Guardian reported.
The measures include an import ban on goods from illegal settlements in the occupied territories, alongside a new ban for arms licences and other exports that “materially contribute to the occupation”.
The package also establishes a comprehensive sanctions regime against providing services such as construction or financing for Israeli settlements, and a ban on advertising them in the UK.
In addition, the government set out personal sanctions against key individuals accused of promoting settler violence.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights tensions between the UK government's foreign policy toward Israel and concerns raised by Jewish community leaders about domestic safety. How ministers balance confronting the Netanyahu government's actions with fighting antisemitism has significant implications for both diplomacy and community relations in Britain.
Frequently asked questions
What sanctions did the UK announce against Israeli settlements?
According to the Guardian, the measures include an import ban on goods from illegal settlements, a ban on arms licences and exports that materially contribute to the occupation, a sanctions regime against services such as construction or financing, a ban on advertising settlements in the UK, and personal sanctions against individuals accused of promoting settler violence.
What did the chief rabbi claim?
Sir Ephraim Mirvis warned that the government's sanctions against illegal Israeli settlements would make British Jews less safe, a claim Ed Miliband rejected.
What is the UK government's position on the occupation?
The Guardian reports that the government took the position that Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territory was unlawful.