UK bans Israeli settlement trade as Miliband vows reset — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- The United Kingdom imposed a ban on trade with Israeli settlements — 59 years after the first settlement was established, with the settler population now numbering more than 750,000 across 140+ formal settlements and 390+ outposts and farms.
- Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband pledged a "comprehensive set of measures" in response to Israel's E1 settlement tenders and vowed to lead a "comprehensive reset" in UK-Israel relations, with further measures including arms sales not ruled out.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer never accused Israel of violating international law in Gaza, though the policy shift dates to Labour's 2024 takeover and accelerated with UK recognition of Palestine in 2025 and sanctions on ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.
- Israeli officials reacted sharply: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the UK the "Islamic Republic of Britain"; Foreign Minister Gideon Saar warned Israel would "act against Britain"; Smotrich demanded expulsion of the British ambassador.
- US Ambassador Mike Huckabee charged that "the Jew hate of their government knows no boundaries" — a comment the author notes came despite Miliband being Jewish and a son of Jewish refugees.
- Israeli retaliation options include pressing the US to punish the UK, imposing counter-sanctions, or expelling the UK from the International Gaza Support Centre, though the article warns much of the response will likely be taken out on Palestinians through new settlement announcements.
Why it matters: The UK has moved from "cosy relations" to banning trade with 750,000+ settlers across 140+ settlements, with Foreign Secretary Miliband explicitly not ruling out further arms measures. The article warns Israeli retaliation will likely target Palestinians through new settlement announcements — meaning Palestinian conditions could become the de facto pressure point in this diplomatic standoff.
Ask SkimNews
