The UK West Bank settlement ban has the backing of more than half the British public, a YouGov snap poll has found, as France and Canada announced they would follow London’s lead.
The survey, conducted on Wednesday among 4,506 British adults, found 52 per cent support the trade restrictions announced by foreign secretary Ed Miliband. One-third, 33 per cent, said they ‘completely approve’ of the ban, with a further 19 per cent saying they ‘somewhat approve’. Just 17 per cent expressed opposition, and 31 per cent said they did not know.
France and Canada move to join UK West Bank settlement ban
In a development that widened the diplomatic pressure on Israel, France and Canada announced in a joint statement that they would follow the UK’s lead in banning trade with Israeli settlements, according to Novara Media. The move transforms what began as a unilateral British step into a coordinated stance among three Western allies.
The UK measures restrict imports of settlement-produced goods, impose financial sanctions on developers, and halt arms export licences contributing to the occupation. The policy forms part of Labour’s stated commitment to take a tougher stance in support of Gaza.
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,’ he said. ‘Britain has to show leadership, Britain has to stand for fairness against injustice.’
Arms embargo calls grow as F-35 component question hangs over policy
Critics argue the settlement ban leaves a significant gap: the continued supply of arms components. Middle East Eye reports that UK-made components make up 15 per cent of every F-35 produced. The Stop the War Coalition pointed directly to F-35 fighter jet components, which it says have been used by Israel in Gaza, as evidence that the ban alone does not end British complicity.
‘If the government is serious about ending complicity, a full two-way arms embargo must follow,’ the coalition said in a statement issued on Tuesday. The group welcomed the settlement restrictions as a ‘positive step toward ending Britain’s decades-long complicity,’ adding that nearly three years of ‘relentless grassroots organising made this moment impossible to avoid.’ It said the announcement must serve as a ‘floor, not a ceiling.’
On the question of arms licences, the UK suspended about 30 arms export licences in 2024 due to Israel’s actions in Gaza, according to Al Jazeera. Campaigners say those suspensions do not go far enough given the ongoing supply of components for aircraft deployed in the conflict.
The ban comes amid heightening international concern over Israel’s plans for further development in the E1 corridor. Construction in that area 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 position reaffirmed by the International Court of Justice in July 2024.
Israel’s response was swift. Foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar warned: ‘If Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain.’ Israel labelled the measures a ‘grave miscalculation’ and announced retaliatory steps, including the closure of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, the removal of British officials from the international Gaza coordination centre, and a ban on entry for 12 British MPs and activists.
Sir Ephraim Mirvis, described in the report as Britain’s chief rabbi, described the announcement as ‘gesture politics’ that would ‘succeed only in bolstering the very extremism they seek to target.’
The Stop the War Coalition’s call for a full arms embargo is now set to become the central test of how far the government is willing to extend its new policy, with France and Canada’s alignment adding further international weight to demands for a broader response.
