U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded today (Tuesday) to sanctions imposed by the British government targeting Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, stopping short of condemning the move while making clear that the United States would not follow Britain’s lead.
Rubio said the United States does not want to see any actors creating instability in Judea and Samaria, without specifying whom he was referring to. He then stated that Washington would not participate in the sanctions imposed by Britain. Britain significantly escalated its anti-Israel policy earlier Tuesday, opening a new international front against Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced in Parliament a ban on imports of goods from Israeli communities in the area, along with a new sanctions regime targeting companies and individuals that provide services facilitating their expansion. The British measures placed Judea and Samaria alongside Iran and Hezbollah, which were also included in sanctions announced by London.
A number of other countries joined the British initiative, including France, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. The move therefore extends beyond unilateral British action, representing an effort to build an international front aimed at applying economic pressure on Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.