Israel threatens economic, political response to London as UK mulls sanctions

Far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich says Israel is preparing to implement political and economic measures in response to any potential sanctions or restrictions that Britain and other nations may introduce regarding illegal Israeli settlement activities in the occupied West Bank.

As reported by Israeli media outlets, Smotrich stated that the Tel Aviv regime is formulating strategies across various sectors to address actions that may impact Israeli businesses or the overall economy.

He stated that Israeli authorities would establish a “safety net” for the businesses affected by possible sanctions, while also aiming to enhance commercial relationships with alternative markets.

“One market may close, but others will open,” Smotrich asserted.

His remarks come as the British government is preparing a range of measures in response to unlawful Israeli settlement policies in the West Bank, particularly those related to construction in the controversial E1 area, which lies to the east of al-Quds.

The E1 project aims to sever connections between Palestinian communities and greatly hinder territorial continuity. It will create a separation between East al-Quds and certain areas of the West Bank, compelling Palestinians to undertake long detours when traveling between cities and towns.

Despite the fact that the E1 construction plan dates back to the 1990s, its execution has consistently faced delays owing to global opposition.

On August 14, Smotrich announced his intention to move forward with the illegal project that “buries the concept of a Palestinian state”.

UK to adopt 'comprehensive' measures against Israel over West Bank settlement expansion

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband says Britain will unveil a “comprehensive" package of measures on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, has stated that Britain's legal and ethical responsibility to prevent genocide in Gaza necessitates more significant actions than merely ceasing trade with illegal Israeli settlements or imposing additional sanctions.

He characterized sanctions targeting specific settler groups or extremist ministers as a “smoke and mirrors cop-out and distraction” from the UK's legal responsibilities under international law to cease all support for Israel. This includes arms exports, trade agreements, and academic collaborations that “may directly or indirectly facilitate Israel's unlawful occupation” of Gaza, the West Bank, and East al-Quds.

Barghouti, a prominent proponent of Palestinian rights for over two decades, said the litmus test for human rights law and the West remains in Palestine.

More than 700,000 settlers live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds.

The international community views the settlements as illegal under international law and the Geneva Conventions due to their construction on occupied territories.

The UN Security Council has condemned Israel’s settlement activities in several resolutions.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of historical Palestine illegal.

The ICJ demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds. It was mere words.

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