Legal Experts Say UK Sanctions on Israeli Settlements Fall Short of International Obligations

More than 130 legal experts, including 18 King’s Counsel (KCs), have signed a letter stating that recent UK sanctions on Israeli settlements “fall far short” of Britain’s obligations under international law, according to The Guardian.

The letter, addressed to Andy Burnham and described as a letter to the prime minister, argues that the measures do not go far enough to meet requirements stemming from the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) finding that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is unlawful, the report said.

The correspondence follows an announcement last week by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband of an import ban on goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories, along with other measures, The Guardian reported.

Signatories to the letter include prominent lawyers Michael Mansfield KC and Imran Khan KC, as well as former Lord Justice of Appeal Alan Moses, according to the report.

The legal experts contend that, given the ICJ’s ruling on the unlawfulness of the occupation, international law requires the UK government to take further action beyond the measures already announced, The Guardian said.

The Guardian did not report an immediate response from the UK government to the letter’s claims.