Statement in response to UK sanctions on Israeli settlements
8 September, 2026
Amidst increasing violence from Israeli settlers and the huge expansion of illegal settlements, Embrace the Middle East welcomes the announcement from the UK Government to sanction goods and services from the West Bank settlements. For too long, the British Government has wrung its hands and issued statements, but without action they are meaningless.
We welcome the Foreign Secretary’s statement aligning itself to the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion of July 2024 that not only settlements, but Israel’s occupation of Palestine as a whole is illegal. Along with other countries, the UK must take steps to prevent anything that aids and supports the illegal occupation, along with avoiding any trade and investment relations that helps maintain this illegal situation.
As a founding member of the Just Peace Coalition, Embrace the Middle East will work with our coalition partners to assess the implementation and impact of these measures, hold the UK Government to account and continue to press for further action. Whilst this is a welcome step to address Israel’s illegal occupation, the UK Government must also urgently suspend the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement and all arms sales until it ends its illegal occupation and respects Palestinian human rights.
Advocating for the rights of Palestinians and standing firm against antisemitism in the UK are not at odds, as our Patron Bishop Rachel wrote in her recent reflection, ‘Oranges and Lemons’. We commend her words to you:
