THE UK will ban the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine, the Foreign Secretary has announced.
Ed Miliband also confirmed that the UK Government's new official stance was that the occupation of the West Bank was unlawful, which he admitted was an "overdue statement of reality".
Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday, Miliband also announced the UK Government would take action against firms providing services to settlements as he slammed “settler terrorists” operating under the protection of the Israeli military.
The Israeli government has reacted with fury to the announcement and foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar announced that the British consulate in Jerusalem would be closed in response.
In an emotional statement, in which the Foreign Secretary described himself as a “proud British Jew” and noted his family's connection with Israel, he spoke of his “deep sense of shame about what has unfolded in Palestine under the eyes of the international community”.
Unveiling a significant shift in UK foreign policy, Miliband said: “The official view of the British Government is that the occupation is unlawful, because of Israel’s entrenchment of its control, its intention to extend permanent sovereignty, and its expansionist agenda via illegal settlements.
“Our position is not just an overdue statement of reality. The Government believes the unlawfulness of the occupation should be reflected in the economic relationships we choose to have with the occupied territories.
“I do not believe the British people want us supporting the occupation by accepting products from settlements in our shops and supermarkets. So I can announce today that we will introduce an import ban on goods from illegal settlements in the occupied territories.”
The new import ban did not appear to extend to services from settlements, however Miliband said that Britain would bring in “a new comprehensive sanctions regime” to target “companies and individuals who provide services such as construction, infrastructure, financing, or real estate for settlement expansion”.
Taking aim at a property roadshow event which visited London earlier in the year to advertise homes for sale in illegal settlements, Miliband added: “Earlier this year, shamefully, just a few miles from here, we saw an expo advertising illegal settlement land.
“We must and we will ensure this never happens again. So we will ban the advertising in the UK of illegal settlements.”
Britain will also put a “double-lock” on arms sales to Israel, Miliband said, by refusing licence applications that “materially contribute” to the occupation, though he stopped short of unveiling a total arms embargo as campaigners have demanded.
Turning his attention to Gaza, the Foreign Secretary issued the strongest language yet from the UK Government, while falling short of accepting a raft of international expert opinion that Israel has perpetrated a genocide against Palestinians.
He said: “What has occurred, including the actions of the IDF, have been examined in depth by a number of organisations, including the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry.
“The conclusions of these reports represent increasing evidence that war crimes appear to have been committed, and we support legal processes to determine this.”
On the question of genocide specifically, Miliband said that the UK Government’s precedent in past cases such as Rwanda and Srebrenica was to rely on the findings of a competent court.
