- A group of 19 prominent Israeli public figures, including former ambassadors and an attorney general, has urged the UK and European Union to implement a full ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
- In an open letter published in The Independent, they warned that these settlements, illegal under international law, are expanding at an alarming rate and criticised European nations for failing to translate their condemnation into policy.
- The call coincides with a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, where the issue is expected to be discussed, and follows a recent debate in the UK Parliament where cross-party MPs also advocated for a total ban.
- The Israeli figures welcomed existing US and UK efforts to curb trade and impose sanctions but stressed the need for urgent, comprehensive action, especially as some Israeli ministers have discussed establishing settlements in Gaza.
- While the British government officially deems settlements illegal and an obstacle to peace, it currently only advises against trade rather than enforcing an outright ban, citing challenges in verifying the source of goods.
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