Jerusalem Post columnist criticizes Britain’s sanctions against Israel
Jerusalem Post columnist Matilda Heller criticized in a column the sanctions against Israel announced by UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband. According to her, before the announcement he said he was a proud British Jew, while she called the package of restrictions the most extensive in British history.
Meeting with the chief rabbi
As Heller writes, a little more than a week before the sanctions were announced, Miliband met with the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Ephraim Mirvis. According to the author, they discussed possible sanctions and trade restrictions.
Heller claims that Mirvis warned the minister about the Jewish community’s deep disappointment with such steps. He also, according to the columnist’s account, believed that the planned policy would not affect Israel’s decisions in the way the government expects, but could have a disproportionate impact on British Jews.
The author writes that similar concerns were voiced by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council, Jewish politicians, and officials responsible for counterterrorism.
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Assessment of the consequences of sanctions
According to Heller’s account, Miliband declared unwavering support for the State of Israel, while calling the occupation illegal and accusing Israel of ethnic cleansing. The author notes that in his remarks he referred to the UN and the International Court of Justice.
According to the columnist, Miliband said that the sanctions regime would target settlements beyond the Green Line and their expansion, rather than Israel as a whole. Heller suggested that the restrictions could affect British businesses supplying kosher wine, as well as real estate transactions in Jewish neighborhoods of East Jerusalem.
The author also raised questions about possible consequences for graduates of Ariel University, advertising for the Gush Etzion yeshiva in the United Kingdom, and the sale in British shops of works by artists from the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. According to her, Mirvis called the situation a dark day for British Jews.
