Israel Vows Retaliation to Anticipated UK Sanctions over West Bank Settlement Expansion

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar warned that Israel will take reciprocal action if the United Kingdom imposes sanctions linked to the expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. The warning follows the UK government’s indication that a “comprehensive” sanctions package will target settlement activity, particularly the controversial E1 construction plan.

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The E1 project seeks to connect East Jerusalem with the settlement bloc of Ma’ale Adumim, cutting through land Palestinians envision for a future state. Critics say the plan would sever Palestinian communities, force long detours, and undermine the viability of a two-state solution. The initiative, first proposed in the 1990s, has repeatedly stalled amid international opposition.

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• Gideon Sa'ar (Israeli Foreign Minister) – warned of a reciprocal response to any British measures, emphasizing that Israel will not be a “passive victim.”

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Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, argued that Britain’s limited sanctions constitute a “smoke and mirrors cop-out,” urging the UK to fulfill its legal obligations by ending all support—arms exports, trade agreements, and academic collaborations—that may facilitate Israel’s “unlawful occupation” of Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.

Israel threatens economic, political response to London as UK mulls sanctions

• “If Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain,” — Gideon Sa'ar, israeli foreign minister — Gideon Sa'ar, Israeli Foreign Minister

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