Israel hits back at sanctions on settlers

Oliver Conway (0:00)

This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service.

Hello, I'm Oliver Conway. We're recording this at 4h GMT on Wednesday 9th September. Israel hits back after the UK, France and Canada impose sanctions on settlements in the occupied West Bank. Fighting flares up again between the US and Iran with numerous ships targeted. And there's a warning about teenagers declining performance at school in the digital era.

Glyn Morgan (0:30)

Also in this podcast, as Star Trek continues to boldly go, We have flip phone communicators and video calls and things like that, but we don't have teleportation and we don't have faster than light travel.

Oliver Conway (0:41)

We look at the technology the show predicted 60 years ago.

Israel has responded angrily to the announcement of new sanctions against Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. A statement from Britain, France, Canada and nine other nations said the Israeli government's actions in the territory were undermining the possibility of a two-state solution, which would see a Palestinian nation existing peacefully alongside Israel. Such a deal has long seemed unlikely, but it would be virtually impossible if Israel goes ahead with its plan to build more than a thousand homes on a key piece of occupied land known as E1. Violent attacks by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank also increased in recent months. Setting out the new policy, the British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband accused what he called settler terrorists of ethnic cleansing, a claim that was fiercely rejected by his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar.

Gideon Saar (1:40)

The accusations made today by the Foreign Secretary in the British Parliament were outrageous lies. We know that we have many friends in Britain.

Unfortunately, a hostile labour government is in office, systematically acting against the state of Israel.

Oliver Conway (2:01)

At Hassam Zumblott, the current Palestinian UK ambassador praised the new approach.

Hassam Zumblott (2:07)

We welcome this decision and commend Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband for translating Britain's recognition of the state of Palestine and its obligation under international law into concrete action.

Oliver Conway (2:23)

Several other nations have already taken action over the settlements, and the latest development leaves Israel looking increasingly isolated, at a time when support for it is waning in its traditional ally, the US.

So how serious a moment is this for the Israeli government? I asked our international editor, Jeremy Bowen.

Jeremy Bowen (2:42)

I think they have to take it seriously. I think their tone is already defiant and that's going to deepen. There's no doubt about it. Not just because there is an election at the end of October.

And actually, in terms of opinion inside Israel, there is an overwhelming majority against the idea of a Palestinian state, a majority which has sort of strengthened and deepened since the 7th of October attacks.

And Mr. Miliband, Britain's Foreign Secretary's, attempt to, if you like, square the circle by saying, look, this is not about the people of Israel, it's not about the state of Israel, it's about the actions of the government of Israel. I don't think that is a distinction that the Israelis particularly are going to accept. However, I think the fact that there are now is a long list of countries who are backing up Britain on this. And the Americans so far may change. The Americans so far have not said anything strong against it. Well, that suggests that the Israelis are under even more pressure and are more isolated than they were before.

Oliver Conway (3:50)

The British government has said this is about protecting the two-state solution and yet it affects trade of only about $50 million or so. Will it make any difference?

Jeremy Bowen (4:01)

Well, it's not really about the money. I think it's about the politics and the geopolitics as well. I mean, Miliband, the Foreign Secretary said that, that Britain had a moral, historical and geopolitical responsibility because the point he makes is that the turmoil that is and the growing violence in the West Bank is bad for Israel's security as well as being bad for the region. But of course, as we well know, this conflict has a great capacity for exporting trouble elsewhere.

But yeah, I think, you know, one thing that has changed since the 7th of October attacks is that any artifice on the Israeli side about well under certain circumstances, we might have a Palestinian state or something like that. That's gone.

And now that any artifice on the side which is opposing what Israel has been doing, is also going as well. Miliband's language in the Commons will strip bare of diplomatic fudge. It was very direct. Moral emergency, a stain on the conscience of the world in Gaza, evidence of war crimes, settler terrorism, ethnic cleansing. Think back to the days after the 7th of October attacks when Keir Starmer, though he did walk back the remarks afterwards when he was British Prime Minister, and he did an interview where he basically agreed with what the Israelis were saying at the time that they could cut off food and water to Gaza. I mean, that is a massive change.