Miliband defends UK ban on trade with West Bank settlements
The foreign secretary rejected Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis’s criticism while defending the government’s decision and condemning collective blame against British Jews.
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has defended the government’s ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, saying he was proud of the action despite criticism from Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis and Jewish community organisations.
Mirvis described the decision as “truly a dark day for British Jews”. Miliband told Sky News that he respected the chief rabbi but disagreed with his assessment.
Miliband said the government had acted in support of what he described as British values, including the rule of law, dignity and the prevention of injustice. He also said holding British Jews responsible for actions by the Israeli government was “antisemitism, pure and simple”.
The Guardian reported that leading UK Jewish community organisations had strongly condemned the ban. The report also cited unnamed sources saying US officials shared concerns about the Netanyahu government’s West Bank policy, while disagreeing with the specific sanctions. That account has not been independently verified.
Andy Burnham was expected to address the issue at Prime Minister’s Questions. The government has not specified in the source material the ban’s precise legal scope, implementation date or enforcement arrangements.
