Why UK took tougher action against Israel

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has defended his government's decision to impose new measures targeting Israeli settlements, saying Britain must back its longstanding support for a two-state solution with concrete action.

Writing in The Guardian on Tuesday (8 September), Burnham said the new measures were aimed at protecting the prospect of a viable Palestinian state and putting pressure on Israel to change course.

"We have called for years for a two-state solution in the Middle East, but we must recognise that those words are meaningless unless we back them up with action," he wrote.

The UK government announced measures on Tuesday targeting trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, along with sanctions on individuals and companies involved in supporting or profiting from settlement activity.

The UK, along with France and Canada, also joined a broader group of countries backing restrictions on trade in goods from settlements considered illegal under international law.

The measures come amid growing concern over settlement expansion and violence in the occupied West Bank. The UK government has said Israeli actions in the West Bank are undermining the possibility of a two-state solution, particularly following plans for the E1 settlement project.

Burnham said Britain had a responsibility to act as the situation deteriorates and warned that continued settlement expansion could make a viable Palestinian state increasingly difficult to establish.

Burnham cites settlement expansion

The British prime minister said the scale of settlement expansion had increased significantly and pointed to growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

He specifically criticised plans for development in the E1 area of the occupied West Bank, saying the project would undermine the territorial continuity needed for a viable Palestinian state.

"This would cut a swathe through the heart of the West Bank, snuffing out the hope of realising a two-state solution. It cannot be allowed to happen," he wrote.

The UK government has previously said the E1 settlement project would drive a wedge through the West Bank and harm the territorial contiguity of the Palestinian territories.

Burnham said the new measures were intended to increase pressure on those involved in settlement expansion while keeping open the possibility of a negotiated two-state solution.

'Not sanctions on Israel as a whole'

Burnham stressed that the measures were directed at settlement activity and Israeli government policies rather than the Israeli population as a whole.

"The measures we are taking are about targeting illegal settlements and increasing the pressure on the Israeli government to change course. We are not imposing sanctions on Israel as a whole," he wrote.

The UK has also reiterated its condemnation of the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and its commitment to combating antisemitism.

In their joint statement on Tuesday, the UK and 11 other countries said they remained committed to a two-state solution that would allow Israel and a sovereign, democratic and viable Palestinian state to live alongside each other in peace and security.

Britain seeks to 'keep hope alive'

Burnham said the scale of Palestinian suffering and destruction in Gaza, together with the deteriorating situation in the West Bank, made international action increasingly urgent.

He argued that Britain should use its influence alongside international partners to protect the possibility of Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace and security.

The new measures were coordinated with France and Canada, while the broader joint statement was backed by countries including Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

The measures have drawn criticism from Israel, which announced retaliatory diplomatic steps, including plans to close its consulate in East Jerusalem, according to The Guardian.

Burnham said Britain would continue working with international partners to support a two-state solution.

"The government I lead will keep working with our partners around the world to keep that hope alive," he wrote.