High-profile UK rabbis support sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements
Several high-profile UK rabbis have shown support for Andy Burnham’s sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, warning that settler violence should not be tolerated, reports BritPanorama.
On Tuesday, foreign secretary Ed Miliband announced a trade ban on goods imported from the Occupied Palestine Territories, stating that the removal of Palestinian families from their homes amounted to “ethnic cleansing.”
The UK’s chief rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, condemned the move and cautioned it could embolden individuals who “use hatred as a weapon against Jews.”
In contrast, other rabbis, particularly from the progressive wing of the community, have backed Mr Miliband’s plans and urged action against settler violence.
Jonathan Wittenberg, a senior rabbi of Masorti Judaism, told The Guardian: “What is taking place today in the West Bank is a Chillul HaShem, a violation of God’s name of the worst order. We cannot stay silent.”
“This is terrible for Palestinian people who want to get on with their lives in peace. It is terrible for Israel,” he noted.
Wittenberg added: “We must speak out. We must do so out of deep concern for what is human and just, and for the sake of Israel and Judaism. We cannot turn away.” He has recently visited the West Bank, witnessing violence in the Palestinian village of Umm al Khair, and remarked, “The time is for action.”
A snap YouGov survey on Wednesday revealed that 52 per cent of respondents supported the trade restrictions, while just 17 per cent expressed opposition.
The prime minister defended the sanctions during PMQs on Wednesday, stating, “In this difficult and dangerous world, Britain has to stand for something. Britain has to show leadership; it has to stand for fairness against injustice.”
Jeremy Gordon, the rabbi of New London Synagogue, supported Mr Miliband’s sanctions, asserting, “It is wrong to argue for silence, inaction or ‘the use of carrots’ – appeasement – before the settler movement and those who support it.”
Gordon stressed that “the playbook of these settlers is predicated on the notion that they will be appeased or ignored” and that many well-meaning Jews overlook their illegal actions.
Lev Taylor, the rabbi of Kingston Liberal Synagogue in London, described the sanctions as a sign that the “government is moving in the right direction.”
This move by the UK government occurs amidst a growing international backlash concerning Israel’s plans for further development in the E1 corridor, which would sever the northern and southern West Bank from East Jerusalem, rendering a contiguous two-state solution geographically impossible.
International law considers all Israeli settlements in the occupied territories illegal, a stance reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice in July 2024.
While Mr Miliband’s announcement has ignited a diplomatic row with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, 11 other countries, including Canada and France, have also issued sanctions.
Despite Donald Trump questioning the timing of the UK’s ban, he refrained from further comments, mentioning he wanted to speak to Israel to “find out their thinking.”
As he headed to a Republican convention in Texas, Mr Trump said: “Well, I’ve just seen it and I’ll be speaking to Israel. I’ll find out what’s their thinking.”
However, it has been reported that Mr Trump did not oppose the sanctions when informed about them during a phone call with Mr Burnham on Monday.
