UK, France and Canada halt trade with Israeli settlements in West Bank to protest forcible displacement of Palestinians

WASHINGTON — The UK, France and Canada are halting trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, claiming they are “undermining the possibility of a two-state solution.”In a Tuesday statement, the three nations said they would back restrictions on trade with the settlements and support “national measures” to do so.UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband also noted the ban would be enforced for up to nine months and went so far as to say Israeli settler “terrorists” are carrying out an “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians.“We’re witnessing unprecedented settler terrorism in the West Bank,” Miliband said in a video statement, accusing the Jewish state of carrying out “ethnic cleansing of Palestinians” in the region.“We’re banning the import of goods from illegal settlements,” he added.

“We’re taking action on services to target those who finance, facilitate or construct new settlements.And we’re banning advertising of settlement properties and land.”In August, Israeli officials approved a plan to allow the construction of around 1,200 settlement homes in the West Bank.

Human rights groups have issued reports showing an increase in the displacement of Palestinian communities there in recent years.The foreign ministers of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden also joined the statement, which read: “We firmly oppose actions tantamount to the annexation of Palestinian land and forcible displacement of the Palestinian population.”“The Government of Israel must immediately halt the expansion of settlements and civilian administrative powers, ensure accountability for settler violence, and investigate allegations against Israeli forces,” the statement read.“We recognize Israel’s legitimate security interests and reiterate our condemnation of the Hamas 7 October terrorist attack, the worst antisemitic massacre since the Holocaust.We are clear in our determination to tackle antisemitism...