A coalition of 12 countries, including the UK and France, has announced new trade restrictions targeting goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, citing rising settler violence and rapid settlement expansion. The coordinated move marks one of the strongest collective international responses in recent years to Israel’s settlement policies.
The restrictions come amid what ministers describe as “unprecedented levels of settler violence and settlement expansion”, which they argue are undermining the possibility of a two‑state solution. The countries involved are: UK, France, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.
Israel reacted sharply. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar ordered the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem after UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband accused extremist settlers of carrying out “ethnic cleansing” in parts of the West Bank. The diplomatic escalation underscores growing tensions between Israel and several Western governments over settlement activity.
The joint statement from the 12 nations emphasised that their measures aim to protect the viability of a two‑state solution and support what they describe as a just and lasting peace. They warned that continued settlement expansion threatens regional stability and further erodes prospects for meaningful negotiations.
The West Bank has seen a surge in attacks by settlers against Palestinians, alongside continued construction of new settlement units. International observers say the situation is deteriorating rapidly, with fears that unchecked violence could trigger wider instability.