US Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered the White House's first official response on Tuesday to Britain's decision to impose sanctions on Israel, including a trade ban on products from Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). Speaking to reporters, Rubio confirmed that Washington had been briefed on London's intentions ahead of time but made clear that the United States would not pursue a similar course.
"We have nothing to say about the decisions they make," Rubio told journalists. "We don't want to see any escalation in the region, and we think this affects progress in the Gaza Strip. Obviously, we're not going to do what Britain just did, but we don't have any response to it at this time."
