Democratic senators and representatives in the U.S. Congress on Tuesday called on the Trump administration to impose sanctions on Israel’s settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Senator Chris Van Hollen said European countries had begun taking action rather than merely condemning the expansion of Israeli settlements. Van Hollen said the U.S. Congress should take similar steps.
Representatives Joaquin Castro, Ro Khanna and Greg Casar supported the decision by the United Kingdom and other allies. Castro described sanctions and a trade ban on the settlements as a step in the right direction and said the U.S. president should make a decision along the same lines.
Ro Khanna described the UK’s sanctions decision as an important moral step and called for the recognition of a Palestinian state. Greg Casar said the decision by the UK and other allies represented progress toward ending the occupation.
Representative Chuy Garcia argued that Washington should end its support for Israel’s occupation policies. Citing the destruction of villages and the deaths of U.S. citizens in the occupied West Bank, Garcia called for more comprehensive steps.
The UK and 11 countries plan trade restrictions
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced that Britain would ban imports of products from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Miliband said the decision was taken on the grounds of ethnic cleansing against Palestinians.
On the day the UK made its announcement, 12 countries announced plans to impose restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements at the national or European Union level. The list included the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
Israel announced that it would close the British consulate in Jerusalem in response to the UK’s comprehensive sanctions.
Rubio says Washington will not follow the UK
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington did not plan to implement the UK’s decision. Rubio said the UK had informed the United States before announcing the decision and described it as a decision by the UK itself.
Rubio said the United States would not implement the steps taken by the UK and that no new statement had been issued on behalf of Washington on the matter.
