Shona Murray: West can no longer ignore the grave transgressions perpetrated by Israeli state

Twelve countries, including key Israel allies, announced they would ban trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank this week

UK foreign secretary Ed Miliband making a statement on Israel-Palestine in the House of Commons on Tuesday. He said Israel is ‘ethnic cleansing’ Palestinian communities from their homes and land in the West Bank. Picture: PA

The announcement this week by 11 European countries, as well as Canada, to ban trade from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank is a monumental one.

Indeed, in terms of economic impact it’s limited, and arguably performative, but politically it crosses the Rubicon.

At the same time, it also weakens the EU and diminishes the bloc’s credibility from a foreign policy and trade perspective. 

Not to mention the EU’s integrity as a union based on values and adherence to the equal application of law.

Brussels purports to be a beacon of decency, dignity and human rights. 

But the EU has been unable to agree any collective action against Israel which stands accused of genocide and ethnic cleansing including from some of the most respectable institutions including the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and the United Nations independent commission which returned an assessment that Israel has committed acts of genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Foreign policy is a matter for the member states, and any action requires unanimous support. 

However, trade policy is the greater competence of the European Commission, and in this case the leadership has a responsibility to pursue trade matters in line with international law.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is clear when it comes to the illegal nature of the settlements, and the obligation under international law for states not to “render any aid, assistance, or support — including arms transfers or economic cooperation — that helps maintain Israel’s unlawful presence or settlement infrastructure”. 

Instead of leading the EU in line with the ICJ, the European Commission now has 10 members of its single market taking independent trade action.

“Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the UK confirm their intention to introduce national and or support European restrictions on trade in goods with settlements which are illegal under international law,” the statement of the 12 countries said.

The fact that key Israeli allies such as France, Canada, Poland — with the UK in the lead — are moving in this direction signals the western world can no longer ignore the grave transgressions perpetrated by or on behalf of the Israeli state anymore.

Laying blame with Israeli government

The move also lays blame at the Israeli government and not just a few radical out-of-control settlers — which the Israeli government consistently tries to convey.

UK foreign secretary Ed Miliband said Israel is “ethnic cleansing” Palestinian communities from their homes and land in the West Bank.

Baked into the move was Israeli retaliation, and an assumption the US would retaliate on Israel’s behalf by sanctioning some of those states. 

Certainly, that’s been the risk Ireland’s been battling with over the Occupied Territories Bill.

Indeed, Israel responded by saying it will close the UK consulate in East Jerusalem — ironically this is occupied Palestinian territory.

But, so far, Trump hasn’t responded, and US secretary of state Marco Rubio gave a muted answer when asked by reporters saying: 

“Obviously, we’re not going to do what the UK did. We saw their announcement today but I don’t have any comments on it right now.”

Secondary retaliation from the White House

The fear of triggering secondary retaliation from the White House has been one of the given factors for not wanting to penalise Israel for alleged war crimes.

UK prime minister Andy Burnham in defending the turnaround in British policy towards Israel, which under Keir Starmer’s government took a ‘hear no evil see no evil’ approach, admitted: 

“For too long, we have been hesitant to act, fearful of being accused of being anti-Israel,” as a reason for not acting, despite the suffering as a result of Israel’s onslaught.

While there was criticism from other quarters, the 12 countries’ statement ignited a welcoming response from some Jewish communities across the UK and elsewhere.

Including Jeremy Gordon, the rabbi of New London Synagogue who said: “It is wrong to argue for silence, inaction or ‘the use of carrots’ — appeasement — before the settler movement and those who support it.”

And Bogie Yaalon, former chief of staff and defence minister under a previous Netanyahu government stated: 

“We cannot absolve ourselves by calling antisemitism on the countries who laid sanctions on us in response to Jewish terror and savagery in the West Bank,” a Hebrew translated statement on social media read.

Policy driven by Ed Miliband

The fact that the policy was driven by the UK’s new foreign secretary Ed Miliband — a Jewish man who has family in Israel, and whose grandfather perished in a forced labour camp during the Holocaust — was important.

His bone fides shouldn’t have been necessary as a defence against the inevitable onslaught of accusations that London’s actions are motivated by antisemitism.

But they should count for something. Particularly as he said he was grateful to Israel for “giving a home to my grandmother after she lost her husband, my grandfather, and 60 other family members at the hands of the Nazis”.

“I am proud of my Jewishness and unwavering in my support for the state of Israel, and there is absolutely no contradiction between that and my support for the state of Palestine — indeed, quite the opposite,” he said.

Humanity of Palestinians

Miliband went on to centre his statement around the humanity of Palestinians.

Too often the core focus on Israeli Palestinian peace is only what’s best for Israel in the long-term. 

Even though according to Save the Children NGO, one Palestinian child has been killed every hour since Israel’s assault on Gaza in 2023.

“In Gaza, we have seen the most unimaginable trauma and suffering in the last three years — death, destruction and dehumanisation on an appalling scale; a stain on the conscience of the world and of this country too,” said Miliband.

And in the West Bank, we have seen the clear attempt to, in the words of Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich: “Bury the idea of a Palestinian state.”

Let’s hope it’s not too late.