UK Government to Announce Trade Ban on Israeli West Bank Settlements
11 sources across 6 countries
Who reported this
- The Guardian
- The Independent
- BBC News
- Sky News
- Haaretz
- The Times of Israel
- The Jerusalem Post
- La Nacion
- La Tercera
- South China Morning Post
- Bloomberg
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.
The United Kingdom government is expected to announce restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank on Tuesday. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is slated to outline the measures in the House of Commons as part of what he has described as a comprehensive reset of Britain's relations with Israel. The proposed sanctions are expected to target goods and some services, including agricultural products and potentially companies involved in settlement construction. The move follows Israel's decision to open tenders for 1,200 homes in the E1 area, a strategically important region east of Jerusalem that the UK government views as a threat to the viability of a two state solution.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham reportedly briefed US President Donald Trump and Gulf allies, including Qatar, on the plans during phone calls on Monday. While the UK government frames the move as a commitment to international law and Palestinian rights, center right and right leaning sources highlight the potential for friction with the Trump administration. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has previously accused the British government of Jew hate following Miliband's claims that Israel has blocked vital medicines from entering Gaza.
Israeli officials have reacted strongly to the reports. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the immediate expulsion of the British ambassador, describing the UK government as antisemitic. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to recognize Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and impose sanctions on the UK in retaliation. The UK government has previously stated that settlements are illegal under international law, and some reports suggest Britain may also accept a 2024 International Court of Justice ruling declaring the Israeli occupation of the West Bank unlawful.
How each side framed it
- Left
- This coverage focused heavily on the reactions of Israeli far right ministers and the broader context of the occupation.
- Centre-left
- These outlets framed the move as a necessary step for human rights and highlighted public support within the UK for the ban.
- Centre
- These outlets focused on the policy details and the diplomatic implications for the UK's relationship with the US and Israel.
- Centre-right
- These outlets emphasized the retaliatory reactions from Israeli ministers and the potential for diplomatic friction with the US.
Sources
- Centre BBC News: UK government expected to announce restrictions on trade with West Bank settlements
- Centre Bloomberg: UK’s Burnham Risks Trump Anger With New Sanctions on Israel
- Left Haaretz: Ben-Gvir urges sanctions against U.K. over 'occupation' of Falklands after report of British ban on trade with settlements
- Centre-right La Nacion: United Kingdom will announce the prohibition of trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank
- Centre-right La Tercera: Israeli Minister Ben Gvir asks to recognize the Malvinas as occupied Argentine territory and sanction United Kingdom
- Centre Sky News: UK to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements
- Centre-right South China Morning Post: Burnham risks friction with Trump over Israeli West Bank settlement sanctions
- Centre-left The Guardian: UK to adopt tougher stance on Israel with illegal settlements trade ban
- Centre-left The Independent: UK to announce trade ban with Israeli West Bank settlements
- Centre-right The Jerusalem Post: Smotrich calls for expulsion of UK ambassador after 'Post' report of planned settlement trade ban
- Centre The Times of Israel: Britain said set to declare trade ban with West Bank settlements on Tuesday amid E1 dispute
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.