Britain, which issued the Balfour Declaration in 1917 and pledged to establish a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine, could no longer stand idly by in the face of what is happening in the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem in 2026.
اضافة اعلان
Israel’s reputation in the Western world is no longer what it once was, and this is one of the consequences of the war. We have seen several positions from Spain and other European countries condemning Israel at different stages. We have also seen hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets of European cities chanting against the occupation. Yet we have not seen similar demonstrations in most Arab and Muslim countries, as though those who would be expected to be outraged among Arabs and Muslims are saying, “What does this bloody war have to do with us?”
A major country such as Britain has come forward to impose sanctions on Israel, including banning settlement goods and imposing sanctions on companies and individuals providing construction, financing, infrastructure, or real-estate services intended to expand settlements. It has also rejected all licensing requests related to the export of weapons or products that contribute to supporting the occupation, following an earlier decision to suspend more than 30 arms-export licenses. At the same time, the British Foreign Office has officially accused Israel of “turning a blind eye” to “ethnic cleansing” carried out by extremist settlers against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
This is a unique position in Europe and among countries around the world, and it will have repercussions in other European states. We are not facing a merely symbolic or propaganda-driven position. It is our right to follow up on the implementation of these sanctions so that they do not remain merely a declaration of position.
In response, Israel announced a series of measures against Britain, including closing the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, preventing British diplomats from entering the country, expelling serving diplomats, ending Britain’s participation in the civil-military coordination center concerning the Gaza Strip in Kiryat Gat, and closing the British security representation office in Ramallah. This indicates that further Israeli measures may soon follow.
This international coalition against policies of displacement and extermination in the West Bank and Gaza includes other countries such as France, Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Ireland, and Belgium. All of them have either imposed bans or begun taking concrete measures. Other countries have pledged to take similar steps or support the measures already introduced, including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden.
Meanwhile, Germany’s position has been highly problematic, amid widespread criticism of its stance on the Middle East and the way it is viewed following years of the massacre inflicted on Gaza and cities across the West Bank.
What is particularly striking here are the statements by the British Foreign Secretary, who said that Britain would not remain silent in the face of the forced displacement of Palestinians. This British statement is important, and the Arab and Muslim region should make use of it, because we are witnessing ongoing displacement in the Gaza Strip and gradual, as-yet undeclared displacement in the West Bank, threatening the lives and stability of more than five million Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem.
Did the British position come as an expression of political discomfort over the tragedy suffered by the Palestinian people? Or are we witnessing a belated attempt to halt Israeli policies? Or are we facing a genuine and fundamental shift in Britain and Europe toward the disasters being inflicted on Palestinians, which the world watches without stopping them? Meanwhile, Israel acts as though it leads the world, responding to British measures in an attempt to pressure other European countries into backing down or prevent any new countries from joining the British sanctions.
The British position was practical and included specific measures. At its core, it addressed forced displacement. Pressure on Israel must continue to increase through all available means to halt plans for displacement and the daily destruction, which means that the British position must be built upon and reinforced through every possible means.
The irony is that Britain’s Balfour Declaration previously contributed to the displacement of millions of Palestinians, while the latest measures amount to an acknowledgment that the Balfour Declaration was a grave injustice against the Palestinian people, who continue to pay the price to this day. Its consequences extend beyond the West Bank and Gaza Strip to all of historic Palestine, from which millions were forced to leave during times of hardship.
Between 1917 and 2026 lies an arc of catastrophes that cannot be forgotten.
