Europe Steps Up Pressure on Israel, Widening Rift With Washington

Britain, France and Canada have moved to restrict trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, intensifying diplomatic pressure on Israel and exposing a growing policy divide between Europe and the United States over the Middle East.

Britain announced the measures on Tuesday, followed by France and Canada. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden have also backed efforts to restrict trade with Israeli settlements, which are widely considered illegal under international law.

The British government said the measures were prompted by increased settler violence and settlement expansion, including Israeli plans for development in the strategically important E1 area of the West Bank.

Britain, France and Canada said their measures would go beyond goods, potentially targeting individuals and companies that support, facilitate or profit from settlement activity.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the government had concluded that it could not stand by because it feared an Israeli response. He also accused settler groups of carrying out what the British government described as “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians in parts of the West Bank, while saying Britain remained supportive of Israel.

The immediate economic impact of the restrictions could be limited. Settlement exports represent only a small share of the roughly $8 billion in annual trade between Britain and Israel. But revenues from products such as dates, wine and plastics, combined with Israeli government subsidies, are important to the economies of individual settlements.

Israel responded sharply. It ordered the closure of Britain’s consulate general in East Jerusalem, which handles British interests in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. Israel has also restricted the entry of several British lawmakers, canceled British training for Palestinian security forces and excluded Britain from an international Gaza coordination mission.

The dispute highlights a growing divergence between European governments and Washington. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration would not follow Britain’s lead.

The shift is particularly significant for Britain, which has traditionally maintained a closer alignment with Washington on foreign policy than France.

Analysts say implementing the new trade restrictions could take months and pose legal and practical challenges. But the coordinated European action could increase pressure on Israel over settlement expansion while testing whether Britain can regain diplomatic influence in the Middle East.

Source: The Newyork Times