Trump says he will ‘speak to Israel’ after UK trade ban on West Bank settlements

Donald Trump has raised questions over the timing of a UK ban targeting trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Yet the US president seemed unusually hesitant to elaborate on the joint sanctions from Britain, Canada and France, stating he wished to consult Israel first to "find out their thinking".

Announced by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband on Tuesday, the policy has provoked a diplomatic dispute with Benjamin Netanyahu’s government alongside domestic criticism.

Asked about the trade ban 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 be speaking to them and I’ll find out what’s their thinking.

“I understand exactly what’s going on, but I want to find out why all of a sudden does that happen.”

It comes as the majority of people in Britain support the government’s decision to prohibit imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, according to fresh polling.

The snap YouGov survey, carried out on Wednesday, found that 52 per cent of respondents back the trade restrictions announced by foreign secretary Ed Miliband as Labour delivers on its pledge to adopt a firmer stance regarding Gaza.

Of the 4,506 British adults polled, a third (33 per cent) said they "completely approve" of the ban, alongside 19 per cent who stated they "somewhat approve".

By contrast, only 17 per cent voiced opposition — 10 per cent saying they "completely" opposed the measure and 7 per cent indicating they were "somewhat" against it — while 31 per cent said they did not know.

Prime minister Andy Burnham defended the sanctions in the Commons during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.

"In this difficult and dangerous world, Britain has to stand for something," Mr Burnham told the Commons on Wednesday. "Britain has to show leadership, Britain has to stand for fairness against injustice."

The measures restrict the import of settlement-produced goods, impose financial sanctions on developers, and halt arms export licences contributing to the occupation.

The move comes amid heightening international backlash surrounding Israel’s controversial plans for further development in the E1 corridor.

Construction in E1 severs the northern and southern West Bank from East Jerusalem, rendering a contiguous two-state solution geographically impossible.

Under international law, all Israeli settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal — a stance that was reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice in July 2024.

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