UK foreign secretary stands by trade restrictions on illegal West Bank settlements despite pushback from Israeli officials and the chief rabbi.
A Guardian commentary piece says Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has departed from decades of what it describes as ineffective British statements on West Bank settlements, citing new sanctions and stronger language from London.
The move comes after Britain announced restrictions on goods from Israeli settlements in the West Bank, with France and Canada reportedly set to join the measure.
Israel's foreign minister announced retaliatory measures, including entry bans on several UK MPs, after Britain imposed sweeping sanctions on goods from illegal West Bank settlements and a senior minister described settler violence as 'ethnic cleansing.'