Israel Threatens Retaliation as UK Vows Policy Reset Over West Bank Settlements
7 sources across 5 countries
Who reported this
- The Independent
- BBC News
- Financial Times
- Tempo English
- The Times of Israel
- Dawn
- Al-Monitor
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.
Israel has warned that it will retaliate if the United Kingdom imposes sanctions over the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar stated that if Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain, adding that such a move would be a big mistake. These threats follow an announcement by British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband that the UK will introduce a comprehensive reset of its policy toward Israel in the coming weeks. Miliband told Parliament that the government is examining ways to prevent UK companies from financing, constructing, or advertising new settlements. Some reports indicate the UK is also considering restrictions on trade in goods produced in these settlements.
The diplomatic tension centers on Israel's plans to build approximately 1,200 settlement homes in the E1 area east of Jerusalem. Miliband described the E1 development as the crossing of a red line, arguing that it cuts through the heart of the West Bank and risks making a future Palestinian state unviable. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham warned that the project could imperil or end the two state solution. Israel has recently opened tenders for the project, which critics say would divide the West Bank and isolate East Jerusalem. All such settlements are considered illegal under international law.
Additional context provided by some reports links the UK's hardening stance to appalling settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. These reports suggest that Prime Minister Netanyahu and his allies have increased support for settlements ahead of upcoming elections. While the UK has previously sanctioned specific entities involved in settler violence, the current proposed measures represent a broader policy shift. Israel has previously responded to similar trade bans from other countries by expelling diplomats.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- These outlets emphasized the impact of settler violence and the potential for the E1 project to permanently destroy the two state solution.
- Centre
- These outlets focused on the diplomatic exchange and the legal status of the E1 area under international law.
Sources
- Centre Al-Monitor: UK vows anti-settler measures as Israel warns of retaliation
- Centre BBC News: Israel warns it will retaliate if UK imposes sanctions
- Centre-left Dawn: UK vows anti-settler measures as Israel warns of retaliation
- Centre Financial Times: How UK-Israel relations reached their worst point in decades
- Centre-left Tempo English: Israel Threatens Retaliation if UK Imposes Sanctions over West Bank Settlements
- Centre-left The Independent: Israel will ‘act against Britain’ if it imposes sanctions over plans to expand illegal settlements
- Centre The Times of Israel: Sa’ar threatens retaliation if UK imposes sanctions on West Bank settlements
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.