Nearly 140 Labour MPs wrote to UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper demanding a ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. The MPs argued that sanctions targeting individual settlers and some ministers are not enough to halt Israel’s accelerating annexation and settlement expansion policies.
In the letter dated June 7, Cooper was urged to take "urgent and concrete action" against the escalating violations against Palestinians. The MPs emphasized that the solution should not be limited to sanction lists but must also include cutting trade ties.
Focus on Huwara and Khan Al-Ahmar
The letter recalled ongoing settler violence in the West Bank town of Huwara, highlighting footage from a recent attack showing an Israeli soldier beating two Palestinian men alongside settlers. The MPs described this as part of a long-standing system of intimidation, displacement, and impunity.
The MPs also wrote that preparations to forcibly displace the Palestinian Bedouin community of Khan Al-Ahmar are part of a broader policy. The letter characterized this plan as involving "erasure, displacement, and state-backed settler violence," noting that demolishing the community’s homes and properties could amount to a war crime of forced transfer.
The MPs argued that the plans for Khan Al-Ahmar are linked to the E1 settlement plan, which aims to divide the West Bank in two and effectively make a two-state solution impossible.
Settlement Expansion and International Law Debate
The letter claimed that settlement expansion and annexation steps in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem are "increasing exponentially." The MPs noted that Israel approved 34 new settlements as recently as April 2026, further intensifying pressure on the ground.
The MPs referenced United Nations warnings that settlement expansion and annexation policies fuel mass forced displacement. They also argued that settler violence has "spiraled out of control."
While welcoming the UK government’s previous sanctions against figures like Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the MPs said these measures are insufficient. The letter stated, "Individual settlers and even individual ministers are merely implementing policies supported by the Israeli government."
The MPs also argued there is a legal basis for ending trade with settlements. They pointed to the International Court of Justice’s guidance to third states to avoid commercial relations with occupied Palestinian territories, interpreting this as a directive not to trade with settlements.
The letter reminded that the UK does not trade with Crimea and other occupied regions of Ukraine, suggesting that trade with illegal settlements in Palestinian territories could be similarly halted. The MPs argued that no primary legislation would be necessary for this.
Steps in Europe and Call to the UK
The MPs noted that some European countries have begun taking steps to limit trade with settlements. At least 11 EU countries, including France and Sweden, have called on the European Commission to end such trade.
Spain already enforces a ban, while Ireland, the Netherlands, and Belgium are working on similar regulations. The MPs said the UK does not have to wait for a unified European stance and can act independently, as it has done in other illegally occupied territories.
The letter concluded with a warning that accountability and concrete consequences are needed for Israel’s violations, emphasizing that the situation on the ground is worsening day by day.
