UK TO BAN TRADE IN GOODS FROM ILLEGAL ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS

Ed Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, is set to announce a ban on UK trade in goods and some services from illegal Israeli settlements on Tuesday. The measure will apply to investment in settlement businesses. Miliband has told civil society groups he is determined to reassert support for a two-state solution and the protection of Palestinian rights, alongside calls for respect for international law. The announcement is expected to draw criticism from the United States and Israel, with Israel's foreign minister Gideon Saar having warned that "if Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain".

The ban is expected to bring the UK into compliance with the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion of July 2024, which declared the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory to be illegal and obligated states to take steps to oppose it. Prime Minister Andy Burnham spoke to Donald Trump and key Gulf allies including Qatar on Monday to brief them on the plans. Polling conducted by Opinium and published by the European Council on Foreign Relations found that 46% of UK adults favour a ban on trade with Israeli settlements, with only 18% opposed; support rises to nearly three-quarters when those who did not express an opinion are excluded. Miliband's statement will reiterate his claim that the Israel Defence Forces are placing unnecessary controls on aid entering Gaza.

The Labour Muslim Network and International Centre of Justice for Palestinians have called for a broader ban covering all British citizens and businesses conducting economic and financial activities in illegal settlements. UN special rapporteur on the occupied territories Francesca Albanese said on Monday that all states carry an obligation under international law not to recognise the occupation as legal or render aid and assistance in maintaining it.