By Benson Daniel
The United Kingdom should end all trade and other economic relations with Israel rather than limit restrictions to goods produced in Israeli settlements, Omar Barghouti, co founder of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, has said.
Barghouti argued that Britain’s response to Israel’s policies in the occupied Palestinian territories should go much further than targeted sanctions against individual settlers or Israeli officials.
His comments come as the British government prepares what Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has described as a comprehensive reset of the country’s policy towards Israel.
The government is considering measures aimed at preventing British companies from financing, constructing or promoting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The proposed restrictions would represent a significant tightening of Britain’s position on settlement activity.
Barghouti, however, said such measures would not go far enough.
He called for a wider package that would include an arms embargo, restrictions on trade and investment, and an end to diplomatic and academic relationships that could contribute to Israel’s continued control of Palestinian territories.
The BDS movement, which Barghouti helped establish, has for years campaigned for economic and institutional pressure on Israel. Its supporters argue that boycotts and sanctions can push governments and companies to address alleged violations of Palestinian rights.
The latest intervention comes as relations between Britain and Israel face one of their most difficult periods in decades.
The British government has become increasingly critical of Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, particularly plans for the E1 area. Critics warn that development there could divide the West Bank and make the creation of a viable Palestinian state more difficult.
Miliband has described the proposed settlement project as unacceptable and said Britain would take action to prevent British businesses from becoming involved in it.
Israel has warned that stronger British measures could trigger a response, adding another complication to an already strained relationship.
The debate has also generated concern among some Jewish organisations in Britain. Community representatives have warned that sanctions or trade restrictions aimed at Israel or Israeli settlements could contribute to antisemitism, while other Jewish groups have backed stronger action against settlement expansion.
Barghouti maintains that the issue should be judged primarily through international law and the protection of Palestinian rights.
He has pointed to previous findings by the International Court of Justice concerning Israel’s occupation and the obligations of other states when dealing with situations considered unlawful.
The British government, meanwhile, faces the challenge of balancing its increasingly critical position on Israeli policies with longstanding security, diplomatic and commercial ties between the two countries.
Any decision to broaden trade restrictions would have economic as well as diplomatic consequences for British companies operating in or trading with Israel.
The government is expected to set out further measures in the coming weeks.
For campaigners supporting a tougher approach, the announcement will be closely watched as a test of whether Britain’s stated opposition to settlement expansion will translate into meaningful economic pressure.
For the government, the challenge will be determining how far it is prepared to go without severing relationships it considers important to British security, trade and diplomacy.
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