Israel Warns UK of Retaliation Over Possible West Bank Settlement Sanctions

Israel’s Foreign Minister *Gideon Saar* has warned that Israel will retaliate if the UK imposes sanctions over the possible expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Addressing Parliament for the first time as Foreign Secretary, *Ed Miliband* said the government would pursue a “comprehensive reset” of policy on Israel “in the coming weeks.”

He said ministers would examine how to stop UK companies “financing, constructing or advertising new settlements” in the occupied West Bank.

Responding to the remarks, Saar told Hebrew-language news site _Ynet_: “If Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain.”

“If they act, I think they will be making a big mistake,” he added.

*E1 Settlement Plans Spark Backlash*

Last month, Israel opened tenders for the construction of about 1,200 settlement homes in the so-called E1 area, a strategically sensitive corridor east of Jerusalem. The plans have drawn widespread international condemnation.

The development would effectively divide the West Bank in two and further isolate East Jerusalem.

Miliband called the plans “illegal under international law” and “the crossing of a red line, as it cuts through the heart of the West Bank and risks making a Palestinian state unviable.”

UK Prime Minister *Andy Burnham* also warned that Israel’s move on E1 could “imperil or end” the two-state solution in the Middle East.

All settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal under international law. Under international pressure, Israel had held off for decades on building in the E1 area.

The two-state solution, which has broad international backing, proposes an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital, existing alongside Israel.

Israel rejects a two-state solution. The Palestinian Authority supports it, while Hamas opposes it on the grounds that it rejects the existence of Israel.