The decision, coordinated with 10 European countries and Canada, draws criticism from Zionist officials.
On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham took his first significant foreign policy measure by banning trade in goods and services originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and sanctioning companies that engage in such trade.
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The decision, which was made in coordination with 10 European countries and Canada, is significant in the case of the United Kingdom, the country that is home to Europe’s second-largest Jewish community, with about 270,000 people who have significant influence in the British politics and economy.
It is no coincidence that this move against the settlements was announced by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who has proclaimed with “pride” his Jewish identity, before clarifying that it has nothing to do with the United Kingdom’s support for the State of Israel and its people, or with its fight against antisemitism.
The decision was also influenced by the fact that the United Kingdom is home to one of Europe’s largest Muslim populations, with 4.1 million people, whose leaders and institutions have been extremely critical of Israel and British policy toward the country.
Breaking: UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband just announced the UK is joining 11 other countries to ban the import of goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Miliband says “ethnic cleansing” is being carried out by Israeli “settler terrorists" and accuses… https://t.co/lwjljl52Ml pic.twitter.com/zqcskESQS4
— Power to the People ☭
(@ProudSocialist) September 8, 2026
Miliband is credited with being the most left-wing member of the Burnham government. In Keir Starmer’s administration, in which he served as energy secretary, he maintained clear support for green energy.
In his current position, Miliband appears determined to “amend” Starmer’s approach, which is commonly viewed as too accommodating toward Israel.
In his announcement on Tuesday, Miliband went further than his predecessors in British diplomacy, including when he used the expression “ethnic cleansing,” of which he accused Israeli settlers, a statement that all British media immediately highlighted.
A year ago, Starmer took a significant step by recognizing the State of Palestine on the eve of the United Nations General Assembly, and at that time the United Kingdom also appeared to wait for international consensus around the same measure. In fact, it did so alongside France, Canada, Australia, and Portugal, among others.
UK announces sweeping sanctions on Jewish settlements
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UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has accused Jewish “terrorists” of carrying out ethnic cleansing in the occupied West Bank with the tacit backing of the government, as Britain announced sweeping measures alongside France… pic.twitter.com/txCTaVbEHs— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) September 8, 2026
In recent years, British citizens have been forceful in their responses to the genocide in Gaza, staging numerous mass demonstrations, with thousands of people taking to the streets to protest Israeli crimes.
Andy Burnham has already faced the first attacks from the Zionist state. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the sanctions were “a serious error of judgment” and “blatant interference” in the affairs of his country.
More radically, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the British ambassador to be expelled, while Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir suggested that Israel recognize the Malvinas Islands as Argentine territory.
The reaction of U.S. President Donald Trump remains to be seen. The Republican leader has criticized the British government over its handling of immigration, its climate policies, and its refusal to make its bases in the Indian Ocean available for the war on Iran.
Within the United Kingdom, the Jewish Leadership Council, considered the largest British Jewish organization, described the government’s measure as “highly irresponsible” and went further, predicting that it would expose British Jews to possible future attacks on British soil.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
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