Canada, France and Britain to ban imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank

Canada, France and Britain to ban imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank PAUL WALDIE EUROPE CORRESPONDENT LONDON PUBLISHED 11 HOURS AGO UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO Open this photo in gallery: Palestinians inspect the site of a demolished house after an Israeli army raid, in the village of Aqraba near Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Sept. 8. MOHAMAD TOROKMAN/REUTERS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. The leaders of Canada, Britain and France have announced that they will ban imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, signalling a new, tougher stand in their relations with Israel. In a joint statement Tuesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham and French President Emmanuel Macron said “systematic settlement expansion in the West Bank” poses a threat to the possibility of a two-state solution that would see the establishment of a Palestinian homeland alongside Israel. “Settlements are illegal under international law,” the statement said. Therefore the three governments will “take steps to ban the importation of goods from settlements and enforce targeted measures against settlements and those who facilitate them or profit from them.” The move has been backed by nearly a dozen European countries that have taken similar action or offered support for trade restrictions. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband told the House of Commons on Tuesday that in addition to the import ban, Britain will sanction businesses that provide services for settlement expansion such as construction, infrastructure, financing or real estate. “Today marks the beginning of a new approach,” Mr. Miliband said. His comments marked a hardening of Britain’s relations with Israel since Mr. Burnham took over as Prime Minister in July from Keir Starmer. Mr. Starmer had faced mounting pressure from Labour MPs to take a more definitive position on the war in Gaza and West Bank settlements. Britain lost its way with Thatcher and Brexit, Burnham tells Parliament in first speech Mr. Miliband, who was appointed Foreign Secretary last month, took direct aim Tuesday at Israel and spoke in deeply personal terms about how his Jewish parents sought refuge in Britain from the Nazis during the Second World War. “I am proud of my Jewishness and unwavering in my support for the state of Israel, and there is absolutely no contradiction between…