12 countries plan to restrict commodity trade with Israeli settlements

On the 8th local time, French Foreign Minister Barrow stated that France will cease commodity trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. Twelve countries including France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden issued a joint statement on the same day, making commitments to restrict commodity trade with Israeli settlements.

On the 8th, British Foreign Secretary Miliband announced in the House of Commons that the import of goods produced by Israel's illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank would be banned, in order to demonstrate support for the "two-state solution". According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the official position of the British government now is that Israel's occupation of the West Bank of the Jordan River is illegal, and the UK will take action against businesses and individuals providing construction, financial, and other services for settlement expansion. They will face severe sanctions.

The Independent reported that this decision is a direct response to Israel's controversial settlement expansion plan in the occupied West Bank. Previously, Israel issued a tender announcement for 1200 housing units in the E1 settlement project. According to reports, the annual bilateral trade volume between the UK and Israel is about 6 billion pounds. The goods produced by settlements in the West Bank of the Jordan River mainly include fresh agricultural products and wine, which account for a relatively small proportion in Israel's foreign trade. Therefore, the impact of the ban on overall trade between the two countries may be limited.

According to The Guardian, the Israeli side expressed strong dissatisfaction with this. According to President Herzog, if the UK implements a trade ban, it will "stand on the wrong side of history". The Minister of National Security, Ben Gervais, called for the government to recognize Argentina's sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (also known as the Falkland Islands in the UK) and impose sanctions on the UK for its continued "occupation" of the islands. On the 8th, Israeli Foreign Minister Saar announced that Israel will close the British Consulate in Jerusalem. US Ambassador to Israel Huckabee said in an interview with BBC that if the UK implements relevant trade bans, there is "no doubt" that the US will respond.