The key facts

  • On September 8, 2026, UK Foreign Secretary Edward Miliband announced restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank
  • Israel responded by closing the British consulate in East Jerusalem and other measures
  • According to Israeli media, Shin Bet chief David Zini proposed administrative detention of settler groups

The British decision and its rationale

In an opinion column for Anadolu, Dr. Blerim Mustafa, pro-rector-advisor of the Geneva Institute of Nations (Switzerland) and author of the book Remedial Secession After the Cold War (2026, BRILL), examines the deterioration of political relations between Israel and the United Kingdom. According to his account, on September 8, 2026, UK Foreign Secretary Edward Miliband announced in the House of Commons the government's decision to restrict trade connected with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, citing, among other things, the 'ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.' Miliband also condemned the impunity of settlers, stating that the 'Israeli government had turned a blind eye' to the forcible transfer and violations against the Palestinian population. Mustafa notes that the decision was taken against the backdrop of similar measures by a number of Western countries in September, and that since April 2024 about 20 states have politically recognized Palestine.

International legal context

The author recalls that, in his assessment, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law — citing the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice of July 19, 2024 on Palestine. He points out that Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits the occupying power from altering the demographics of occupied territories, and that the existence and expansion of settlements have been repeatedly condemned by the UN, including the Security Council and the General Assembly. These legal assessments belong to the column's author.

Israel's retaliatory measures

According to the author's account, the Israeli government, in response, within 30 days ordered the closure of the British consulate general in East Jerusalem, withdrew British personnel from the US-led International Center for Gaza Support, ended the United Kingdom's participation in training the security forces of the Palestinian Authority, and imposed an entry ban on a number of British officials and citizens.

Disagreements within the Israeli establishment

Citing Israeli media, including the Times of Israel, the author writes that Shin Bet chief David Zini, during a 'heated meeting' with Minister for Settlement and National Projects Orit Strook, proposed placing groups of settlers in administrative detention to combat the rise in indiscriminate attacks on Palestinian communities and civilians. Mustafa believes this conflict may indicate growing discontent among the security establishment with the current government.

A signal before the elections and the author's assessment

In the author's view, the downgrade of Israel's relations with European countries reflects a growing international consensus that settlements hinder peace and a settlement of the conflict based on UN Security Council resolutions. Trade bans, in his assessment, send a signal to Tel Aviv and Israeli society ahead of the general elections scheduled for October 27, 2026. The author asks whether London's reciprocal mirror measures would strengthen the position of the current Israeli government before the elections, and concludes that Israel risks international isolation because of its settlement policy. Citing the Monterrey — rather, the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, he notes that a viable state must have a defined territory: the Gaza Strip, in his assessment, is destroyed and will require years or decades to rebuild, so the West Bank remains the only viable core of a Palestinian state, and its de facto annexation would mean the end of the State of Palestine. The column reflects the personal opinion of the author and does not necessarily coincide with Anadolu's editorial position.