British Prime Minister Andy Burnham attends a meeting with Jewish community leaders at Downing Street in London, Britain, on September 3, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
For one of its first foreign policy moves, the administration of U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is banning goods from illegal settlements in the West Bank. The U.K. government has said the move is to keep alive the possibility of a ‘two State solution’. However, only a small proportion of the $8.12 billion in bilateral trade originates in the West Bank.
Israel had issued tenders for 1,200 settlements in the so-called E1 area, east of Jerusalem. Such a settlement would split the west bank into two parts, making a contiguous Palestinian state virtually impossible. East Jerusalam and the West Bank are considered occupied territory under international law. The idea of ‘E1’ was mooted in 1990 but has been held in abeyance due to pressure from other countries.
U.K. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband is set to announce the ban in the House of Commons on Tuesday (September 8, 2026). Prior to being appointed Prime Minister, Mr. Burnham had apologised for his predecessor Keir Starmer’s and Labour’s early position on the Israel-Gaza conflict, saying the party needed to do better.
Israeli President said the U.K. decision would fall “on the wrong side of history” as he accused the U.K. of interference in Knesset elections which are at the end of October.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called the move an “irrational action” in a BBC Radio 4 interview.
Mr. Huckabee suggested that British business could suffer in some U.S. States , such as Florida, which, he said, had laws that could result in a ban on business with Britain, if the sanctions went through.
Earlier this week, Mr. Huckabee accused the British government of “Jew hate” on social media. Asked whether he was aware that Mr. Miliband himself was Jewish, Mr. Huckabee drew a parallel saying there were “some Americans who don’t like America very much”.
Published – September 08, 2026 06:23 pm IST
