British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Wednesday that imposing sanctions on imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank demonstrates Britain's “leadership” on the global stage, adding that support for a two-state solution must be accompanied by practical steps.
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Speaking to British lawmakers, Burnham said, “Britain must stand for fairness in the face of injustice. Where people are forced from their homes and subjected to intimidation, we will always stand with the weaker party and do whatever we can to support them.”
Britain has banned imports of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, alongside a package of sanctions targeting settlement expansion and individuals and companies contributing to it.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the government would establish a “comprehensive sanctions regime” with appropriate religious exemptions. He added that he did not believe Britons wanted their country to support the occupation by selling settlement products in British stores.
Twelve foreign countries are also planning to impose sanctions on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, following an escalation in attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages in the occupied territory.
French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are undermining prospects for a two-state solution.
The measures have drawn angry reactions from Israel.
Israel has also ordered the British Consulate in East Jerusalem to close, with British diplomats assigned to the consulate set to lose their accreditation within 30 days.
Source: Al Mamlaka / Reuters
