Britain Bans Trade with Settlements: West Bank Witnesses Ethnic Cleansing

London – Agencies: The British government announced yesterday the imposition of a trade ban on Israeli settlements, describing the West Bank as witnessing “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, in a speech before the British House of Commons, affirmed that his government considers the Israeli occupation of the West Bank “illegal,” condemning Israel’s E1 settlement project in the West Bank and stressing that it “renders the two-state solution unworkable.” The British foreign minister noted that his country’s disagreement “is not with the Israeli people but with the conduct of its government.” He pointed out that these steps signal a renewed commitment to the two-state solution, adding: “Today marks the beginning of a new approach to addressing injustice,” and emphasized that “ensuring a two-state solution in its full form is the compass guiding the British government’s policy.” Miliband revealed a new, comprehensive sanctions regime that takes into account “appropriate religious exemptions,” under which penalties will be imposed on “specific companies and individuals providing services such as construction, infrastructure, financing, or real estate, which contribute to the expansion of settlements,” noting that Britain “will ban the advertising of illegal settlements.” In this context, a tweet by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, in which he called for the expulsion of the British ambassador to Israel, sparked widespread reaction after he attacked the British government, describing it as “antisemitic” and stating that “the British Mandate in the Land of Israel has ended.” The repercussions of Smotrich’s remarks did not remain confined to political responses; his tweet ignited a broad debate on social media platforms, amid sharp Israeli and British criticism of the finance minister and questions about the consequences of escalating tensions with London. Smotrich wrote on the X platform: “We will not be a stepping stone to be trampled on,” claiming that the British government is attempting to save itself from “economic and social collapse by attacking Jews and the State of Israel.”