Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth has thrown his support behind new UK sanctions targeting illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The sanctions, announced Tuesday by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, mark what officials called “the beginning of a new approach” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But was the action too little, too late?
Ap Iorwerth didn’t mince words. He told BBC Wales that the UK government had moved “far too slowly” in responding to what he termed illegal activities by Israel’s government. “This should have happened much, much sooner,” he said, though he welcomed the measures as a positive step. The sanctions will ban settlement goods and target companies and individuals involved in settlement expansion over the next six to nine months.
Israel’s response was swift and sharp. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Miliband of spreading an “outrageous lie” and announced counter-measures, including shutting the UK’s consulate in East Jerusalem. Israeli leaders have consistently rejected allegations of genocide and war crimes, insisting their forces operate within international law.
The UK joined France and Canada in the coordinated action, with eleven other countries issuing a separate joint statement supporting restrictions on trading goods with West Bank settlements. UK Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis called the sanctions “gesture politics” that could endanger Jewish communities.
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