Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has rejected claims by the UK's chief rabbi that sanctions against Israeli settlements could endanger British Jews. Sir Ephraim Mirvis had stated that the government's announcement was "little more than political flag bearing for mendacious anti-Israel rhetoric" and that such punitive policies would embolden those using hatred against Jews.
Miliband, while expressing great respect for the chief rabbi, asserted that "anyone who holds British Jews – or indeed Jews around the world – responsible for the actions of the Israeli government, is engaging in antisemitism, pure and simple." He made these remarks on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews expressed concerns for communal security at their highest levels, particularly for British Jews, noting the timing of the announcement before Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The board also warned that the deteriorating relationship between the UK and Israel could inflame community tensions domestically.
The sanctions, announced by Miliband in the House of Commons, target companies and individuals involved in the construction and financing of Israeli settlements. The measures will also include a ban on advertising illegal settlements in the UK and could take up to nine months to implement. Miliband cited the E1 development, a controversial settlement project that would divide the occupied West Bank, as a primary reason for the new approach. He also stated that the UK agrees ethnic cleansing is occurring in parts of the West Bank, accusing "settler terrorists" of displacing Palestinians, and that the Israeli government has frequently overlooked these actions.
This move has triggered a diplomatic dispute with Israel, which has closed the British consulate in East Jerusalem and banned 11 Members of Parliament and a campaigner from entering the country. Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli has reportedly recommended that other British-linked organizations and individuals be denied entry to Israel. The list of organizations reportedly includes Oxfam, Save the Children, Norwegian Refugee Council, Islamic Relief Worldwide, and Medical Aid for Palestinians.
The UK's actions align with similar measures taken by Canada and France, which have banned goods from settlements as part of a coordinated international effort.