The United Kingdom has announced plans to take a tougher stance against Israel over its actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband pledging new measures targeting economic links with Israeli settlements.
Speaking at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on September 28, Miliband said Britain would “match words with action” in defending Palestinian rights.
He accused Israeli settlers of carrying out what he described as ethnic cleansing in the West Bank and said there was evidence of war crimes in Gaza. He also criticised Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinian territories.
Among the measures announced are a ban on imports of goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, as well as efforts to disrupt financial, construction and service links between Britain and those settlements.
Miliband said the Labour government had “reset its approach” under Prime Minister Andy Burnham and warned against actions that could undermine the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Britain has also expressed concern over Israel’s approval of the E1 settlement project east of Jerusalem, which critics say could effectively divide the occupied West Bank.
Earlier in September, the UK government announced a ban on imports of goods produced by Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The move followed Britain’s recognition of Palestinian statehood the previous year.
The British government has nevertheless faced criticism over its continued diplomatic relations with Israel and its handling of pro-Palestinian protests.
Miliband, who is Jewish, also reaffirmed Labour’s support for a two-state solution and said the government would oppose measures that threaten the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state.
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