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The Israeli settlement of Har Homa, backdropped by the Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank city of Bethlehem (right), is seen in the Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem on Aug. 14. Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
LONDON — British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced a ban on imports of goods produced in Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Tuesday, where he said Israeli settler "terrorists" are carrying out "ethnic cleansing" against Palestinians.
The measures and strong escalation of rhetoric are intended to put pressure on Israel over settlement expansion, which the U.K. says is undermining prospects for establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel, known as the two-state solution to the conflict.
In a joint statement, Canada and France announced similar bans on goods from Israeli settlements, with France also pushing for a European Union-wide ban. They added their names to Ireland, Spain, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands, which have already taken steps to restrict trade in settlement goods, or are in the process of doing so.
This comes after the U.K. and several other European countries condemned the Israeli government's decision to publish construction tenders for a controversial plan known as the E1 settlement project, that will bisect much of the West Bank.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, Miliband said, "Our argument is not with the people of Israel, with whom the U.K. has unshakeable bonds." Miliband said he is a "proud British Jew" with deep gratitude to Israel for giving his grandmother a home after the Nazis killed their relatives. "Our argument is with the conduct of its [Israel's] government," he said.
Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Ed Miliband arrives in the British government building on Downing Street to attend a weekly Cabinet meeting in London on Tuesday. Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images hide caption
"The British government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank, perpetrated by settler terrorists," Miliband told members of Parliament. He said there had been "houses bulldozed, roads and public infrastructure destroyed, families displaced from their homes."
The new trade bans are expected to take effect in six to nine months. The government said it will target goods originating specifically from settlements, rather than imposing a wider ban on Israeli products. Miliband said he opposes the international movement for a boycott, divestment and sanctions on Israel.
Products made in the settlements include fruits such as dates, vegetables and wine.
The move comes a year after the United Kingdom joined a number of other countries in recognizing Palestinian statehood in order to restart efforts toward the two-state solution.
"One year ago, we recognised the State of Palestine. The time has come to take further action to uphold our commitment to protect the two-state solution, our interests and to stand up for our values, before it is too late," British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a joint statement later Tuesday.
"Settlements are illegal under international law. The UK, France and Canada will therefore take steps to ban the importation of goods from settlements and enforce targeted measures against settlements and those who facilitate them or profit from them," the statement said.
State of the World from NPR The souring relationship between Trump and Netanyahu Prime Minister Burnham spoke to President Trump on Monday ahead of the policy announcement. In a readout of the call, the British government said Burnham stressed the U.K.'s commitment to peace and security in the region, as well as the importance of the two-state solution.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as he embarked on a Latin America tour, said on Tuesday that neither he or President Trump were commenting on the U.K.'s move at this time. "We were made aware that they were going to make this decision. We heard their arguments as to why," Rubio said. "But, look, we share the goal of stability. We don't want to see some uptick in violence or an uptick in conflict or tensions in the West Bank, at a very tenuous time in the region."
Earlier, in an interview with the BBC, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called the U.K. move "irrational" and warned it could lead to some U.S. backlash against British companies.
Opponents including Britain's opposition Conservative Party warned the move could isolate Israel. Turning Israel into a "pariah" would risk a "further rise in antisemitic violence on our own streets," said the Conservatives' shadow foreign secretary, Tom Tugendhat.
The move marks a significant deterioration in U.K.-Israel relations.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar called Miliband's statement "outrageous lies" and said Israel would close the British Consulate in Jerusalem in response to the U.K.'s policies. He said Israel also would expel U.K. representatives from a joint military center that monitors the Gaza ceasefire, shut down British training of Palestinian Authority security forces in the West Bank and bar a dozen British citizens including lawmakers from entering Israel.
One of the Britons blacklisted by Israel, member of Parliament Jeremy Corbyn, said in a statement that he has "visited all parts of Palestine on several occasions, where I have witnessed the horrors of occupation." He added, "I will keep speaking up for peace, freedom and justice for the Palestinian people."
Sa'ar called the British policies "a gross interference in the electoral process" in the midst of Israel's campaigns for elections in October.
"Whoever acts against Israel, Israel acts against them, and they will lose their influence and relevance in the region. Measures against Israel will not go unanswered," Sa'ar said.
He said the U.K.'s actions would also hurt tens of thousands of Palestinian workers employed in Israeli settlements.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the measures from the U.K. and the other governments taking action against the settlements.
Middle East conflict U.K., Canada and Australia recognize a Palestinian state, despite U.S. opposition The Palestinian Authority's ambassador to the U.K., Husam Zomlot, said in an online video address that the U.K. "announced a reset of policy, affirming the illegality of Israel's occupation of the occupied Palestinian territory," which he said marks "a turning point in U.K.-Palestine relations."
Carrie Kahn contributed reporting from Tel Aviv, Israel.
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