NYT: Britain Set to Ban Trade With Israeli West Bank Settlements Tuesday

LONDON (VINnews) — Britain is expected to announce broad economic restrictions targeting Israeli settlements in the West Bank as soon as Tuesday, including a ban on goods produced in the settlements, according to seven officials briefed on the measures, The New York Times reported Monday. The measures could also include sanctions against companies involved in building Israeli settlements, three of the officials told the Times. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plans publicly. The move would mark a significant escalation in Britain's response to Israeli settlement policy and comes as Israel faces growing international criticism over its policies toward Palestinians following the war in Gaza. The proposed restrictions would likely have a limited effect on the roughly $8 billion in annual trade between Britain and Israel because goods produced in Israeli settlements represent only a small portion of that trade. Still, the measures would go beyond Britain's previous actions, which included sanctions against individual Israeli settlers and two far-right Israeli ministers. Gideon Saar, Israel's foreign minister, said last week that Israel would respond to any new British sanctions. Israel's Foreign Ministry declined to comment Monday, while Britain's Foreign Office also declined to comment, according to The New York Times. British Jewish groups have opposed the planned measures, arguing that they unfairly single out Israel and could contribute to antisemitism. Britain has long opposed Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank, saying the settlements undermine the prospects for a future Palestinian state. The British government intensified its criticism last month after Israel advanced plans for new housing in the E1 area of the West Bank near Jerusalem. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband called the move 'an unacceptable and destructive act' and said Britain would consider sanctions against those involved in settlement expansion. Israel has controlled the West Bank since 1967. About 3 million Palestinians live there alongside roughly 500,000 Israelis in settlements, according to The New York Times. Settlement exports include wine, agricultural products, plastics and other goods. Spain and the Netherlands have already banned products from Israeli settlements. Analysts said Britain's economic and political influence could encourage other European countries to adopt broader measures. Britain's chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, has also warned that a settlement trade ban could develop into a broader boycott of Israeli goods and said escalating rhetoric toward Israel can contribute to hostility toward Jews.