UK PM Defends Israel Sanctions in UN Speech

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham delivered a sharp attack on Israeli policy in Judea and Samaria during his address to the UN General Assembly Tuesday night, defending his government's sanctions on settlements including a ban on imports from the region.

"I condemned the events of October 7 in the strongest possible terms. We continue to condemn Hamas and stand with Israel against ongoing threats, including from Iran, against the State of Israel and the Jewish people worldwide," Burnham declared in his speech. "But this does not justify the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza or the West Bank."

The British prime minister added that "we will not stand by as terrible suffering increases and the vision of a two-state solution is attacked."

The speech comes amid a severe diplomatic crisis between Israel and Britain. In response to the British announcement, Israel declared a series of countermeasures, including closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem within 30 days and entry bans for 11 British MPs. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar attacked the British decision, stating that "the accusations by the Labour government's foreign secretary in the British Parliament were outrageous and false."

According to foreign reports, the Trump administration did not oppose the British initiative. President Donald Trump addressed the sanctions for the first time, saying "I'm going to speak with Israel. I'll talk to them and find out what they think, what their considerations are. I understand exactly what's happening, but I want to find out why this suddenly happened."

Trump and Netanyahu (Photo: Mayan Toaf, Laam)

Meanwhile, senior officials in London are considering escalating the sanctions. According to a Channel 12 report, they are examining the possibility of imposing measures on Israeli banks found to be assisting in building and developing settlements in Judea and Samaria, such as banks that provide mortgages for housing and construction beyond the Green Line. Israeli retail chains may also find themselves under British sanctions.

According to those senior officials, discussions on the expanded sanctions package are taking place now and are expected to mature within six to nine months. If implemented, these sanctions are expected to deeply impact the entire Israeli economy.