Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. Congress called on the Trump administration to impose sanctions on Israel’s settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Senator Chris Van Hollen said European countries had begun taking concrete steps rather than merely condemning the expansion of settlements. Van Hollen said the U.S. Congress should also take action in this direction.
Representatives Joaquin Castro, Ro Khanna and Greg Casar backed the decision by the United Kingdom and other allies. Castro described sanctions and a trade ban on settlements as a step in the right direction and said the U.S. president should take a similar decision.
Ro Khanna called the United Kingdom’s sanctions decision a morally significant development and called for recognition of a Palestinian state. Greg Casar also said the decision by Britain and other allies represented progress in efforts to end the occupation.
Representative Chuy Garcia argued that Washington should end its support for Israel’s occupation policies. Citing the destruction of villages in the occupied West Bank and the deaths of U.S. citizens, Garcia called for more comprehensive steps.
United Kingdom and 11 countries plan trade restrictions
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced that the United Kingdom would ban imports of products from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Miliband said the decision was taken on the grounds of ethnic cleansing targeting Palestinians.
On the day of the United Kingdom’s announcement, 12 countries announced plans to impose restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements at the national or European Union level. The list included the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
Israel, meanwhile, announced that it would close the British consulate in Jerusalem in response to the United Kingdom’s broad sanctions.
Rubio says U.S. will not follow Britain’s lead
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington did not intend to implement the United Kingdom’s decision. Rubio said Britain had informed the United States before making the decision and described it as Britain’s own choice.
Rubio said the United States would not follow the steps taken by the United Kingdom and that no new statement had been issued on behalf of Washington on the matter.
