UK to impose trade sanctions on Israeli settlements in West Bank
UK to announce sanctions on Israeli settlements after US ambassador visit highlights settler violence.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, visited the West Bank village of Turmus Ayya, where most residents are Palestinian Americans, to hear their complaints about attacks from Jewish settlers. He called violent settlers terrorists but refused to use the term "West Bank", preferring the biblical names "Judea and Samaria". Residents told him they had lost land, homes and family members. One resident, Abu Awad, said America was the only country that could pressure Israel, but added: "You don't put pressure on your small child." When asked if he thought Huckabee would help him get his house back, he said: "I don't think so."
The visit came as settler violence across the occupied West Bank is rising. The UN says injuries from settler attacks have reached an average of three a day this year. In the village of Al-Mughayyir, two teenagers were shot dead during a confrontation involving settlers and Israeli soldiers. The Israeli military said it fired in response to a violent riot. The village has held six funerals this year for men and boys killed by Israeli forces or settlers.
In a separate development, the UK government is set to announce trade sanctions on Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband will tell MPs that the government is banning goods from settlements, as part of a "comprehensive reset" of the UK's relationship with Israel. The move is a response to the expansion of settlements, which are illegal under international law, and the rise in settler violence. Israel has threatened retaliation, with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar saying: "If Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain." The US administration is also expected to be critical.
The sanctions are seen as an attempt to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution, which many say is being undermined by settlement expansion and violence.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News | BBC One | BBC Two | BBC Verified Live | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The UK government is expected to announce a ban on goods from Israeli settlements, including agricultural products and some services. | · | ||||||
| At least 81 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank this year, compared with three Israelis killed by Palestinians. | · | · | · | · | |||
| Huckabee said the problem is a tiny minority of settlers, not settlement policy. | · | · | · | · | |||
| Palestinian officials reported two teenagers shot dead in a West Bank confrontation, while the Israeli army said its forces opened fire during a violent riot. | · | · | · | · | |||
| Huckabee described violent settlers as terrorists. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Mike Huckabee used biblical terms instead of the term West Bank for the occupied territory. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| Residents said settlers arrived during the ambassador's visit and were intimidating people. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| The ban is part of a comprehensive reset of UK-Israel relations. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| The E1 settlement was cited as a key reason for the sanctions. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| The previous Starmer government recognised the state of Palestine and sanctioned Israeli government members. | · | · | · | · | · | ||
| The UN reported that injuries from settler attacks have risen to an average of three a day this year. | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Focused on the broader pattern of settler violence, with detailed incidents and a warning that attacks are reaching record levels. Did not mention the ambassador visit directly.
- “Violence by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank is set to reach record levels this year”
- “We've counted more than 60 incidents here just in the past week”
Same report as the first BBC News segment, focusing on settler violence, but also included unrelated news about Norway's king. No mention of the ambassador visit.
- “Violence by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank is set to reach record levels this year”
- “We've counted more than 60 incidents here just in the past week”
Covered the shooting of two teenagers and the rare criticism from Israeli leaders and the US ambassador. Highlighted the frequency of settler attacks and the lack of accountability.
- “so did the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee”
- “This year alone, it's more than three every day”
Focused on the impact of settler violence on the village of Al-Mughayyir, with funerals and daily attacks. Did not mention the ambassador visit.
- “The killing of our young men has become a regular ritual”
- “This village has held six funerals this year”
Dedicated to the ambassador's visit, his comments, and residents' skepticism. Highlighted Huckabee's refusal to call it the West Bank and his 'pharmacist' analogy.
- “America's ambassador said he came to Tumras Aya to listen. But residents want him to act.”
- “I'm the pharmacist, not the chemist.”
Focused on the ambassador's terminology and the residents' fear. Emphasized the contrast between Huckabee's biblical language and the reality of settler intimidation.
- “You've called it Judea Samaria. Yes. That is not what the rest of the world calls it.”
- “Do you feel any safer today than you did yesterday? No...”
Covered the ambassador visit and then provided analysis from a former US envoy on settlement expansion. Emphasized the broader context of settlement growth.
- “America's ambassador said he came to Turmus Ayya to listen”
- “I'm the pharmacist, not the chemist.”
Same report as the main Sky News segment, but presented in a morning show context. Focused on the ambassador's visit and the residents' fear.
- “You've called it Judea Samaria. Yes. That is not what the rest of the world calls it.”
- “Do you feel any safer today than you did yesterday? No...”
Focused on the impact of settler violence on children and the UK government's response. Announced the upcoming ban on goods from settlements.
- “The government will tomorrow announce a ban on goods made in Jewish settlements”
- “Children are being targeted, too”
Focused on the political implications of the UK sanctions, including Labour party dynamics and the prime minister's announcement. Emphasized the internal party angle.
- “He announced that tomorrow is the day that Ed Miliband is going to announce this big comprehensive reset”
- “The Israelis will be furious.”
Focused on the details of the sanctions and the political debate, including concerns about a wider boycott and the impact on the Jewish community.
- “the government is planning to introduce sanctions on Israeli settlements”
- “any settlement boycott must not become a wider boycott of all of Israel”
Focused on the UK sanctions and the Israeli reaction, including a statement from Itamar Ben-Gvir about the Falklands. Also covered newspaper front pages.
- “Andy Burnham is set to announce fast track sanctions against Israel tomorrow”
- “It's times that the state of Israel should publicly recognise the Malvinas Islands are Argentine territory under occupation”
Focused on the sanctions announcement and its implications, including concerns about a wider boycott and the diplomatic fallout with the US and Israel.
- “The government's expected to announce sanctions over Israeli settlements in the West Bank later.”
- “There are concerns that this ban on settlements could morph into a wider boycott of Israel.”
Focused on the sanctions and the diplomatic fallout, including threats from Israeli ministers and the US response. Emphasized the difficulty of distinguishing settlement goods from Israeli goods.
- “What we're expecting today is an announcement in the House of Commons of a trade ban on items coming from Israeli settlements”
- “Already ministers, including far-right ones, are saying that the ambassador should be expelled.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.