Britain Set to Impose Trade Ban on Israeli West Bank Settlements

Britain is set to announce wide-ranging economic restrictions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank as soon as Tuesday, according to seven officials briefed on the measures, in what experts say would be a significant censure of Israeli policy toward Palestinians. The measures are expected to include a trade ban on goods produced in the settlements, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. Three of the officials said the measures could also include sanctions on companies helping to build settlements. Israel has become increasingly isolated on the world stage in the aftermath of the devastating war in Gaza, and international attention has focused on Israel's tightening grip over the West Bank. The sanctions come at a time when Israeli extremists have been repeatedly attacking Palestinians, on occasion assailing homes with little intervention by Israeli forces. Some analysts say Britain's move could foreshadow decisions by other European countries to impose harder-hitting and broader sanctions. While the details are still unclear, a British product ban would likely have a limited impact on the $8 billion in annual trade between the countries, given that goods made in Israeli settlements are only a small fraction of that amount. But the measures go well beyond previous British sanctions related to the West Bank, which targeted some extremist Israeli settlers and two far-right ministers. 'The government is broadening the extent of the sanctions from individuals to looking at processes and the system,' said Lord Tariq Ahmad, who was a British minister for the Middle East until 2024 and has knowledge of the expected policy. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.