UK, Allies Impose Sanctions on Israeli Settlements; Israel Closes British Consulate

Britain, Canada, and France have announced sanctions targeting goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, with the UK's Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband condemning settler violence as "ethnic cleansing" perpetrated with government complicity. In response, Israel has ordered the closure of the British consulate in occupied East Jerusalem and banned several UK Members of Parliament from entering the country. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar accused the UK of "systemically working against the state of Israel."

Australia is also considering new targeted sanctions against Israel but will not join the UK in a blanket ban on trade with settlements. The move by the European allies marks a significant shift in policy, with the UK ending what has been described as "decades of Foreign Office inertia" on the issue of illegal settlements. Former Israeli military officers have warned that settler violence is undermining Israel's democratic values from within.