UK clashes with Israel over settlement project in the West Bank
The UK has clashed with Israel over a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank, reports BritPanorama.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband labelled Israel’s move to seek bidders for the construction of 1,200 homes as part of the E1 settlement project an “unacceptable and destructive act.”
He stated that the UK would not “stand back and accept the destruction of the two-state solution.”
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused the UK of a “patronising tone” and an “absurd” stance.
Miliband emphasised that the UK’s opposition to the E1 settlement project had been consistently clear, articulating both publicly and privately that it jeopardises the two-state solution by separating the West Bank from East Jerusalem.
He also communicated to Sa’ar that the Israeli government must halt E1 plans immediately, retract the tender, and cease all settlement expansion.
The UK’s Foreign Office summoned Israel’s charge d’affaires to express a “profound objection” to these plans.
Miliband reiterated the UK’s commitment to support a two-state solution “as the only way to ensure long-term security and peace for both Palestinians and Israelis.” He remarked, “All settlements damage that prospect and are a flagrant breach of international law.”
Looking ahead, he noted that the UK would outline a series of measures “to respond to Israeli government policies, protect the viability of the Palestinian state, target sanctions at those who participate in illegal settlement expansion, and support a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians.”
Sa’ar countered that Miliband was “entirely one-sided,” dismissing his statements and the tone in which they were conveyed.
On X, formerly Twitter, he remarked: “It is absurd for Britain to lecture the Jewish people about where they may live in their historic tiny homeland, when the Jewish people’s connection and right to this land is the most extensively documented of any people in human history.”
He asserted that there have been no new decisions regarding development in E1, with the decision made in 2025, and added that the tender process for the settlement has been ongoing for several months.
Furthermore, he accused the UK’s policy of “blaming only Israel while ignoring Palestinian extremism” of contributing to antisemitic hatred and attacks against the British Jewish community.
Sa’ar concluded by stating, “The UK government’s decision to damage the relationship between our countries is deeply unfortunate. But Israel will not be a passive victim of this policy. Israel will defend its rights, its interests, and its people.”
