Sanctions against settlers: Germany does not support the ban on the import of Israeli goods

rtr | The dispute over Israel's controversial settlement policy in the Palestinian West Bank is escalating. After Britain, France and Canada announced a ban on imports of goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank on Tuesday, the Israeli government said it would close the British consulate in East Jerusalem. Germany, in turn, did not join the import ban of its closest partners.

The dispute with the right-wing Israeli government has been heating up for months. On the one hand, the government in Jerusalem is continuing its expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank unhindered - despite warnings, including from Germany. On the other hand, violence by Jewish settlers against the Palestinian civilian population has increased sharply. Israel's army is accused of covering up the attacks.

British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said in the House of Commons that his country could no longer simply denounce injustice and suffering. Action must be taken to counteract the expansion of settlements and the destruction of a two-state solution. The United Nations and European governments all consider the occupation of the West Bank to be contrary to international law.

“The West Bank is on the verge of explosion,” wrote French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Platform X. He also criticized the rapid expansion of settlements and a flare-up of violence against Palestinians by extremist settlers. “Given the situation on the ground, we cannot wait, so we are making this national decision,” a French diplomat told Reuters. He called the tender for the E1 settlement project a “red line”. The federal government had also warned that this project in East Jerusalem would effectively divide the West Bank and make a two-state solution impossible. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has explicitly stated this as a goal of his government.

With this step, London and Paris join other European countries. In total, the foreign ministers of twelve European countries declared that they support or are considering trade restrictions. Signatories include Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Iceland, Canada, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Germany was apparently not informed of the move because it is already seen as a brake on tougher sanctions against Israel in the EU. Both the Chancellery and the Foreign Ministry are only prepared to impose sanctions against violent settlers and, more recently, against right-wing extremist members of the Israeli government. On Tuesday evening, the Foreign Office only said that it had “taken note” of the partners’ move. When asked, it was pointed out that the approach was based on the EU-Israel Association Agreement, according to which the EU only provides trade preferences for products from Israeli territory within the 1967 borders. This rule must be applied consistently. “No further measures are planned,” it said.

The countries' announcement was met with sharp criticism in Israel. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the expulsion of Britain's ambassador to Tel Aviv and announced the construction of 1,000 new apartments in two other West Bank settlements. President Izchak Herzog also accused Great Britain of interfering in the Israeli elections scheduled for the end of October.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also announced that Britain would no longer be allowed to take part in a US-led coordination mission for the Gaza Strip. Some British politicians will be banned from entering Israel. Saar also rejected British Foreign Minister Miliband's accusation that Israel was carrying out ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in the West Bank.

Relations between London and Jerusalem have been strained for years. Britain recognized a Palestinian state in 2025 to promote a two-state solution. In June, the government in London also imposed sanctions on networks involved in financing violence in the West Bank.

The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, also intervened in the dispute and threatened Great Britain. He warned of possible economic disadvantages for British companies in some US states.