The UK has announced a ban on imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank. All these settlements are illegal from the point of view of International Law since at least Resolution 446, adopted on March 22, 1979:
Calls once more upon Israel, as the occupying Power, to abide scrupulously by the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, to rescind its previous measures and to desist from taking any action which would result in changing the legal status and geographical nature and materially affecting the demographic composition of the Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem, and, in particular, not to transfer parts of its own
civilian population into the occupied Arab territories [1]
So; it has taken the UK 47 years to decide not to be complicit in this violation of International Law.
In general, UK policy on Israel is clear, and today’s announcement of sanctions on settler exports is more of the same, not a change in direction. The policy is to support Israel fully, while doing just enough to create a semblance of being a moral critic of Israel. This is why as the war crimes (killing non combatants, attacking hospitals) and crimes against humanity, (forcible transfer, deprivation of the means of life, unlawful detention, murder of unarmed children in cold blood, as state policy), unfolded in Gaza, (and continue to unfold in the West Bank), the UK was careful to issue a series of statements about being “very concerned”. They are trying to create distance, while not doing anything concrete to change the situation. Reecognizing the state of Palestine just at the moment it was being offically, in words, and in deed, on the ground, obliterated by Israel was very much part of this pattern. Too little, too late, but just enough to pretend that they themselves have some morals.
In his announcement of sanctions on settler exports, the UK’s Foreign Secrtary accused Israel of “turning a blind eye to settler terrorists”. Strong words. But, in reality, too little too late. As multiple NGOs, including Israeli human rights organisations, and international media confirm; the “settler terrorism” is not something Israel is turning a blind eye to. It is state policy. The Defence Minister has been arming these “settler terrorists”. [1] The NGOs and an infinite number of media reports attest to how the IDF works in tandem with Miliband’s “settler terrorists”. Palestinians can be rounded up and held with no legal hearing for months. Children are shot for thowing stones usually, at the rate of one a week. [4] Meanwhile according to Le Mondei “settlers enjoy total impunity”. [5] Ministers boast about how the new E1 settlement prevents any chance of a future Palesinian state. Just last week a British student was kidnapped by settlers and then handed over to the IDF. [3] As so often, settlers turned up, harrassed Palestinians, and the IDF then arrives to back up the settlers, arresting and deporting an activist commiting no crimes rather than arresting or at least investigating the settlers who, allgedly, kidnapped him a gunpoint.
The UN, mainstream European media, and multiple human rights group all attest that Milband’s “settler terrorists” are enacting Israeli state policy and the IDF works hand-in-glove with them. Miliband is just continuing the policy. Miliband certainly knows that the West Bank takeover and ethnic cleansing spearheaded by “settler terrorists” is state policy. Netanyahu gloats that there will never be a two-state solution. While appearing to take a strong position, Miliband is deliberately giving Netanyahu a let out clause; he is hinting to Netanyahu that he just needs to say “it is just a tiny minority”. Meanwhile the apartheid state can continue its aggressions. Just tone down some of these excesses a little (they have got too much media attention) and back to apartheid as normal. So, nothing has changed. Just enough to give an appearance of distance, while, in reality, providing diplomatic cover for anything Israel does. Too little, too late.
The purpose of the crticisim is to allow the UK to fully support Israel. Israel knows this, even as they play their part, and various public figures jump up and down and call for e.g. the UK envoy to be removed. The Palestinian Ambassador to the UK who calls this move a “turning point” [6] pressumably also fully understands that, in fact, this is business as usual. It is designed to shore up the apartheid state, not dismantle it. But, the PA has its own stake in this….
Notes
- https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/1696?v=pdf&ln=en
- https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israels-security-minister-distributes-assault-rifles-to-civilians/3017836
- https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3d7xgge7vgo
- https://www.unicef.org/sop/press-releases/statement-unicef-regional-director-middle-east-and-north-africa-edouard-beigbeder-5
- https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/04/17/in-the-west-bank-israeli-settlers-who-commit-crimes-enjoy-total-impunity_6752548_4.html?srsltid=AfmBOoqRfdw5mFSkXXP8i6H60eff4a8SKtzbIw3XKBh-bj-pXqwZzG64
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/8/uk-bans-goods-from-israeli-west-bank-settlements-what-that-really-means