Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert Backs UK Sanctions on West Bank Settlers

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former IDF chief of staff Dan Halutz have expressed support for the United Kingdom's decision to impose sanctions on Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The UK government, led by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, has implemented a ban on imports from these settlements, which Britain regards as illegal. The measures also include financial sanctions on developers and the halting of arms export licenses that contribute to the occupation.

In a statement, Olmert described extremist settlers as a group of murderous criminal terrorists. He asserted that acts of violence against Palestinians, including the burning of property and theft of livestock, constitute an effort at ethnic cleansing. Olmert further criticized the Israeli police, army, and security services for failing to prevent this violence. He argued that sanctions against these individuals are an inevitable consequence of such failures and rejected the Israeli government's claim that the sanctions are an expression of antisemitism.

The Israeli government reacted to the UK's move by shutting down the UK consulate in East Jerusalem. President Isaac Herzog described the sanctions as a grave miscalculation. While center and center-left reports focus on Olmert's condemnation of settler violence, a left-leaning analysis suggests that the broader Israeli opposition remains indifferent to Palestinians. Meanwhile, a center-leaning report highlights concerns from Baroness Berger, who stated that the sanctions played straight into the hands of Israel's right-wing coalition.