Miliband Rejects Rabbi Warning on West Bank Sanctions — SkimNews
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- UK government announced sanctions on trade with illegal West Bank settlements, targeting construction and financing providers and banning UK advertising of the settlements, with an implementation period of up to nine months.
- Ed Miliband, a self-described proud British Jew, said he disagreed with Mirvis while arguing that the UK can tackle antisemitism and uphold British values; he also condemned holding British or global Jews responsible for Israel’s government actions.
- Sir Ephraim Mirvis called the sanctions a "truly dark day" that would succeed only in bolstering the extremism they target, and described the policy as political flag-bearing for mendacious anti-Israel rhetoric.
- Community Security Trust recorded 1,926 anti-Jewish hate incidents in the UK during the first six months of 2026, a 21% increase from the same period in 2025.
- Jewish Leadership Council warned that the measures risk becoming a de facto boycott of Israel, while Na’amod welcomed the decision and the Movement for Progressive Judaism argued that measures against settlements are not an attack on Jews.
- Israel closed the British consulate in East Jerusalem, banned 11 UK MPs and a campaigner from entering the country, and recommended that several UK-linked aid organizations and individuals be refused entry.
Why it matters: For British Jews and UK-Israel relations, the dispute is already material: the CST recorded 1,926 anti-Jewish hate incidents in the first half of 2026, while Israel has retaliated by closing its East Jerusalem consulate and banning 11 UK MPs and a campaigner. The sanctions have a stated implementation period of up to nine months.
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