UK vows anti-settler measures as Israel warns of retaliation
‘This government will not acquiesce in the destruction of the two-state solution.’
‘This government will not acquiesce in the destruction of the two-state solution.’
JERUSALEM (AFP) — Britain’s foreign secretary vowed a tough response to “appalling” violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, drawing threats from Israel that it would retaliate if the United Kingdom imposed sanctions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing allies have been ramping up support for settlements in the run-up to close-fought elections, despite increasing attacks by extremist settlers who seek to drive out Palestinians.
But the issue has drawn mounting criticism from foreign governments, many of which had already seen their ties with Israel strained over its conduct of the Gaza war.
Speaking in parliament on Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the world had “seen appalling settler terrorism and Palestinians driven from their homes” and vowed a “comprehensive reset of our policy.”
“This government will not acquiesce in the destruction of the two-state solution. We will act, and I will set out a comprehensive set of measures in the coming weeks,” Miliband said.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar later told a podcast: “If Britain acts against the State of Israel, the State of Israel will act against Britain.”
Saar did not explain how Israel would retaliate against Britain, a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council and the world’s fifth-largest economy, but it has reportedly looked at expelling diplomats.
“The era in which it was possible to act against the State of Israel and the State of Israel did not respond is over. If they act, I think they will be making a big mistake,” Saar said, also accusing London of “meddling” in the 27 October election.
