NEWS
“If Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain“ — Israel Warns UK of Retaliation Over Possible West Bank Settlement Sanctions
Israel has issued a sharp warning to the United Kingdom, threatening retaliatory measures if London proceeds with sanctions against the country over plans to expand Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The warning came from Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar amid growing tensions between the two countries over Israel’s settlement policies and the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Saar’s comments followed remarks by UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who told Parliament during his first appearance in the role that Britain would pursue what he described as a “comprehensive reset” of its policy towards Israel “in the coming weeks”.
Miliband said the British government would examine measures aimed at preventing UK companies from “financing, constructing or advertising new settlements” in the occupied West Bank.
The proposed policy shift reflects growing concern in Britain over Israel’s settlement expansion, particularly plans for construction in the strategically significant E1 area, east of Jerusalem.
Responding to the British government’s position, Saar delivered a direct warning in an interview with Hebrew-language news website Ynet.
“If Britain acts against Israel, Israel will act against Britain.
“If they act, I think they will be making a big mistake,“ he said.
The diplomatic dispute has intensified following Israel’s decision last month to open tenders for the construction of around 1,200 settlement homes in the E1 area, a stretch of land considered strategically important because of its location between Jerusalem and the northern and southern parts of the West Bank.
Critics of the project argue that construction in E1 could have major consequences for the territorial continuity of a future Palestinian state. The development would effectively divide the West Bank into two sections while further isolating East Jerusalem from other Palestinian population centres.
Miliband condemned the plans, describing them as “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 has also expressed concern over the planned development, warning that Israel’s position on the E1 area could “imperil or end” the long-standing international push for a two-state solution.
Settlement construction has remained one of the most contentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The international community broadly considers Israeli settlements in territories captured during the 1967 Middle East war to be illegal under international law, a position Israel disputes.
Israel had previously held off for decades from advancing major construction plans in the E1 area amid intense international opposition. The renewed push has therefore triggered fresh criticism from governments and international actors concerned about the viability of a future Palestinian state.
At the heart of the dispute is the two-state solution, an internationally backed framework that envisions an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital, existing alongside the State of Israel.
Israel rejects a two-state solution in its current form, while the Palestinian Authority supports the concept. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, opposes the existence of Israel and therefore does not support the two-state framework.
The latest exchange between London and Jerusalem could further strain relations between the two governments, particularly if Britain moves from diplomatic criticism to concrete economic or legal measures against Israeli settlements.
For Israel, Saar’s warning signals that any British attempt to impose sanctions could provoke a direct response. For the UK government, however, the settlement issue is increasingly being framed as a matter of international law and the preservation of the possibility of a negotiated Palestinian state.
The dispute now leaves both sides facing a potentially significant diplomatic confrontation, with the proposed E1 settlement expansion emerging as a major flashpoint in Britain-Israel relations and the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict.