British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced sanctions on Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria on Tuesday, stating in a speech that the UK government shares the view that there is 'ethnic cleansing' there. The move marks a significant escalation in UK policy toward Israel, according to Israeli media reports.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has announced sanctions on Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, alleging the presence of 'ethnic cleansing' in the region. According to Israeli media reports, Miliband made the remarks during a speech declaring the sanctions, marking a sharp escalation in London's posture toward Israel.
The announcement comes amid ongoing diplomatic friction between Israel and the UK. As The Zioneer has reported, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar previously rejected Miliband's criticism of the E1 housing project, calling the British minister's tone 'patronising' and accusing London of ignoring Palestinian terrorism. During their first phone call in August, Miliband told Sa'ar that Hamas must disarm and the IDF should withdraw from Gaza, while also raising what he termed a 'sharp escalation of settler violence and settlement expansion.'
The British government's adoption of the 'ethnic cleansing' label—typically applied to the forced displacement of a population—represents a significant rhetorical escalation beyond previous UK statements. No response from the Israeli government has been reported yet as of Tuesday afternoon.
3 developments
- DevelopingUK formulates framework to ban trade with Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria
- Confirmed12 countries, led by UK, announce import bans on goods from Judea and Samaria
- DevelopingUK sanctions seven entities and individuals linked to Judea and Samaria settlers
- DevelopingUK urges more nations to join sanctions on Judea and Samaria communities
Source and signal
- Open-source intake