The United Kingdom announced sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the West Bank, prompting an immediate diplomatic rupture with Israel and a warning from the Trump administration. The sanctions, part of a coordinated effort with European partners, aim to ban imports from settlements, target companies facilitating settlement expansion, and refuse licenses for exports contributing to the occupation, with the stated goal of preserving the two-state solution. In response, Israel closed the British Consulate in Jerusalem, removed British representatives from various centers, and imposed countermeasures against British nationals accused of anti-Israel activity.

The U.K. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband outlined the measures in Parliament, emphasizing that they target illegal settlement and expansion rather than Israel itself, and reaffirmed Britain’s support for trade with Israel within the Green Line. However, the policy has drawn sharp criticism from the U.S., with Ambassador Mike Huckabee warning of potential economic repercussions for British businesses in the United States, and from Israeli officials who accuse the U.K. of interfering in Israel’s election. Domestic opposition in Britain, including from the Chief Rabbi and Conservative lawmakers, argues that the sanctions constitute “performative politics” that could exacerbate antisemitism and fail to advance peace. The Trump administration has also made clear it will not join the coordinated sanctions push.

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