UK prepares tougher sanctions against Israeli settlements
In the United Kingdom, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is expected to announce tougher sanctions against Israeli settlements in the West Bank on Tuesday. Details of the package have not yet been disclosed, and its preparation was preceded by several months of pressure from lawmakers, The National reports.
Last week, Miliband said that the government would not accept the destruction of the prospect of a two-state solution and would present a package of measures in the coming weeks. According to the publication, the foreign secretary described the forthcoming package as a comprehensive reset of British policy toward Israel.
The E1 tender
The impetus for the decision was Israel's announcement last month of a tender for the E1 settlement. As The National notes, this project could sever the West Bank's connection with Jerusalem. Campaigns against settlement expansion and escalating violence in the West Bank have been ongoing for more than a year.
The British government has also heard calls to impose sanctions on companies involved in settlement activity, criminalize ownership of property in settlements by UK citizens, and ban trade in settlement goods.
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Criteria and reactions
A group of former British diplomats, Britain Palestine Project, proposed five criteria for assessing the future package. In the organization's view, the policy should end British complicity in the occupation, trade and services connected with settlements, strengthen Palestinian statehood, pressure Israel, and build international support for real consequences.
Britain Palestine Project Executive Director Brian Brivati said that the main question is whether recognition of Palestine will be accompanied by practical policy steps. The organization believes that relations between the United Kingdom and Israel should be based on law rather than privileges.
Miliband's plans have prompted objections from the Israeli government and pro-Israel groups in the United Kingdom. According to the publication, there are disagreements within the British foreign ministry due to concerns that punitive measures could mobilize the far right in Israel ahead of elections in October.
Chatham House expert Yossi Mekelberg noted that the possible negative impact of sanctions on the Palestinian economy could be mitigated through support and investment in Palestine. According to him, the measures should be formulated so that they harm settlements rather than Palestinians.
