Israel has warned Britain against imposing sanctions over its settlement activities in the occupied West Bank, saying any punitive measures by London would trigger a response from the Israeli government.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar issued the warning after British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told Parliament that the UK was preparing what he described as a “comprehensive reset” of its policy towards Israel.
Miliband, speaking in Parliament for the first time since assuming office, said Britain would consider measures aimed at preventing UK-based companies from financing, building or promoting new Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Reacting to the proposed policy shift, Saar told Hebrew-language news outlet Ynet that Israel would not accept sanctions without responding. “If Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain,” he said.
Saar further cautioned the British government against proceeding with such measures, describing the proposed action as a serious mistake.
The diplomatic tensions come amid growing international criticism of Israel’s settlement expansion in the West Bank, a territory Palestinians claim as part of a future independent state.
Last month, Israel invited bids for the construction of about 1,200 new settlement homes in the E1 area, a strategically sensitive zone located east of Jerusalem.
The planned development has attracted strong international opposition, with critics warning that construction in the area could sever the northern and southern parts of the West Bank and further isolate East Jerusalem, complicating prospects for a future Palestinian state.
