British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has defended the UK government’s decision to impose sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, saying Britain had to act before it became too late to preserve the prospect of a two-state solution.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Miliband said he did not believe British Jews were at greater risk following the sanctions and stressed that combating antisemitism was a responsibility shared by the government and wider society.
He said there were differing views within the British Jewish community, with some groups supporting the measures.
Miliband said he had consulted representatives of British Jewish organisations as well as Palestinian groups before the decision. Palestinian representatives, he said, expressed concern that the international community was standing by as the prospect of Palestinian statehood was being undermined.
He said the government acted out of “deep concern” that further delay could make a two-state solution impossible.
In the House of Commons on Tuesday, Miliband described himself as a “proud British Jew” and recalled having close family ties to Israel.
He said achieving a two-state solution remained the “North Star” of the government’s policy, but warned that the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank was making that prospect increasingly unviable.
Miliband said the UK government agreed with the United Nations that Palestinians were facing ethnic cleansing in parts of the West Bank carried out by settler groups, accusing Israel of failing to prevent it.
Under the measures announced by the government, Britain will ban imports of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and impose sanctions on companies and individuals involved in settlement expansion through construction, infrastructure, financing and real estate services.
The UK will also prohibit advertising promoting illegal Israeli settlements and restrict arms sales and other exports that materially contribute to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.
Miliband told lawmakers that those facilitating illegal settlement expansion would face UK sanctions.
He said Britain wanted strong relations with Israel but maintained that such relations must respect international law and Israel’s recognised borders.
Miliband rejected suggestions that the sanctions could encourage Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take a harder line or further undermine the two-state solution.
He also warned against holding British Jews responsible for actions of the Israeli government, saying such treatment would itself constitute antisemitism.
Miliband said he was proud of his Jewish identity and remained committed to combating antisemitism while supporting the rights, dignity and rule of law for all communities.
Source: BBC